Yrjö Nikkanen
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Competitor for  Finland
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1936 Berlin | Javelin throw |
| European Championships | ||
| 1938 Paris | Javelin throw |
| 1946 Oslo | Javelin throw |
Jouko Yrjö Nikkanen (December 31, 1914 in Kanneljärvi – November 18, 1985 in Suoniemi) was a Finnish athlete who competed mainly in the javelin throw.
Nikkanen represented Finland at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin; throwing the javelin 70.77 meters to win a silver medal. So keen was the competition, that Nikkanen's mark fell only one meter behind Germany's gold medalist Gerhard Stöck - and just five centimeters ahead of fellow Finn, Kalervo Toivonen.
On August 28, 1938, Nikkanen established a world record in the javelin throw of 77.86 meters; less than two months later, on October 10th - Yrjö Nikkanen had improved his record to 78.70. One of the most durable standards in the history of javelin throwing; Nikkanen's World Record was not bettered until August 8, 1953 - when America's Bud Held launched the spear 80.40 meters.