Ari-Pekka Nikkola
Encyclopedia
Ari-Pekka Nikkola (born May 16, 1969 in Kuopio
) is a former Finnish
ski jumper who competed from 1986 to 1998. He won two gold medals in the Team large hill competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics
in Calgary
and the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville
. His best individual finish was a 15th place in the Individual normal hill at the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano.
His biggest successes were at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
, where he won seven medals. This included four golds (Team large hill: 1987, 1989, 1995, and 1997), two silver (Individual normal hill: 1989, Team large hill: 1991), and one bronze (Individual normal hill: 1991).
As of 2007, Nikkola is the coach of Jernej Damjan
of Slovenia
.
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
) is a former Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
ski jumper who competed from 1986 to 1998. He won two gold medals in the Team large hill competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
. His best individual finish was a 15th place in the Individual normal hill at the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
His biggest successes were at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
, where he won seven medals. This included four golds (Team large hill: 1987, 1989, 1995, and 1997), two silver (Individual normal hill: 1989, Team large hill: 1991), and one bronze (Individual normal hill: 1991).
As of 2007, Nikkola is the coach of Jernej Damjan
Jernej Damjan
Jernej Damjan is a Slovenian ski jumper who has competed since 2002. He won a bronze medal in the team normal hill event at the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf and finished 28th in the individual large hill at those same championships.Damjan's best individual finish at the...
of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.