Jouko Yrjö Nikkanen (31 December 1914 – 18 November 1985) was a Finnish

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

er, who won a silver medal at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

. His best throw of 70.77 meters was only one meter behind that of the

gold medalist A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

Gerhard Stöck, and just five centimeters ahead that of Kalervo Toivonen. On 25 August 1938, Nikkanen set a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

at 77.87 meters; less than two months later, on 16 October 1938, he had improved his record to 78.70 m. Nikkanen's record was bettered only on 8 August 1953 by

Bud Held Franklin Wesley "Bud" Held (born October 25, 1927) is an American athlete primarily notable for his performance throwing the javelin. He was born in Los Angeles, California. College career Held started as a pole vaulter at Grossmont High School ...

References

1914 births 1985 deaths People from Vyborg District Sportspeople from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Finnish male javelin throwers Olympic athletes for Finland Olympic silver medalists for Finland European Athletics Championships medalists Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Finnish military personnel of World War II 20th-century Finnish sportsmen {{Finland-athletics-bio-stub