Vilho Ilmari Ylönen (31 May 1918 – 8 March 2000) was 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 ...

cross-country skier and rifle shooter who competed in the 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics. Ylönen was a career military officer serving as a non-commissioned officer at the Finnish Air Force base in Tikkakoski; at the time of 1948 Winter Olympics held the rank of kersantti (sergeant). He was a member of the Finnish team that placed second in the

military patrol Military patrol was a team winter sport in which athletes competed in cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering and rifle shooting. It was usually contested between countries or military units. The military patrol competition encompassed 25 ki ...

demonstration event (precursor to

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not time ...

). In other Olympics he competed in several rifle events and had best results in the 50 m small-bore rifle three positions and 300 m free rifle three positions. In the former event he won a silver medal in 1952 and finished fifth in 1956, while in the latter discipline he won a bronze medal in 1956 and placed fourth in 1960. Ylönen won 14 medals at the world championships in the 1950s, including four gold medals. At the European Championships, he collected one gold, six silver and two bronze medals. Ylönen was also a three-time Nordic champion and 44 times national champion. In 1958 he was voted as Finnish Sportspersonality of the year. After retiring from the military service, Ylönen worked as a factory representative for the Tikkakoski Arms Factory.

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Vilho Ylönen
1918 births 2000 deaths People from Hankasalmi Finnish military patrol (sport) runners Finnish male sport shooters ISSF rifle shooters Olympic biathletes of Finland Olympic shooters of Finland Military patrol competitors at the 1948 Winter Olympics Shooters at the 1952 Summer Olympics Shooters at the 1956 Summer Olympics Shooters at the 1960 Summer Olympics Shooters at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Finland Olympic bronze medalists for Finland Olympic medalists in shooting Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Central Finland {{Finland-Olympic-medalist-stub