Anni Helena Takalo (née Kivioja, born 28 October 1947) is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

former cross-country skier. She was born in

Nivala Nivala is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish. ...

, and was dominant women's cross-country skiing in the 1970s, earning five

Winter Olympic The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...

medals and four

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships is a biennial nordic skiing event organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). The World Championships was started in 1925 for men and opened for women's participation in 1954. World Championship eve ...

medals (golds in 5 km and 4 × 5 km relay (both 1978), and bronzes in 3 × 5 km relay (1970), 10 km (1974), and 20 km (1978).). Takalo also won the women's 5 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1976. For her cross-country skiing successes, she earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1977 (Shared with

Hilkka Riihivuori Hilkka Riihivuori (née Kuntola, born 24 December 1952 in Jurva, Southern Ostrobothnia) is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed during the 1970s and 1980s. She competed in three Winter Olympics, earning a total of four medals (1972 ...

and

Walter Steiner Walter Steiner (born 15 February 1951) is a Swiss former ski jumper who competed in the 1970s. Career Steiner earned a ski jumping silver medal in the Individual large hill at the 1972 Winter Olympics. He also won the ski jumping competition a ...

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

* 5 medals – (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)

World Championships

* 5 medals – (2 gold, 3 bronze)

World Cup

Season standings

References

Holmenkollen medalists
- click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file
Holmenkollen winners since 1892
- click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file

External links

*
1947 births Living people People from Nivala Cross-country skiers at the 1968 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1972 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1980 Winter Olympics Finnish female cross-country skiers Holmenkollen medalists Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners Olympic cross-country skiers of Finland Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing Medalists at the 1976 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1972 Winter Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Finland Olympic silver medalists for Finland Olympic bronze medalists for Finland Sportspeople from North Ostrobothnia 20th-century Finnish women {{Finland-crosscountry-skiing-bio-stub