Heli Rantanen (born 26 February 1970) is a retired Finnish

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete who competed in the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...

. She was an Olympic Champion, having won gold in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

. Her winning throw of 67.94 m was more than two metres ahead of the silver medalist. She was the first Nordic woman to become an Olympic Champion in

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

Achievements

References

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Sporting-heroes.net
1970 births Living people Sportspeople from Hämeenlinna Finnish female javelin throwers Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for Finland Olympic gold medalists for Finland Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics {{Finland-Olympic-medalist-stub