Elmer Konstantin Niklander (January 19, 1890 – November 12, 1942) was a 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...

 athlete who competed in discus throw

Discus throw

The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

 and shot put

Shot put

The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....

.

He was born in Rutajärvi, Hausjärvi

Hausjärvi

Hausjärvi is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Oitti.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...

 and died in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

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Niklander took home silver in discus throw and bronze in shot put at the 1912 Summer Olympics

1912 Summer Olympics

The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...

. After having his career hampered by the First World War, he made a strong return at the 1920 Summer Olympics

1920 Summer Olympics

The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

by winning the gold medal in discus throw and improving his shot put medal to a silver one.

Niklander, nicknamed "Oitin kanuuna" ("Cannon from Oitti"), became an Olympic athlete through practice in his home yard and by taking part in athletic competitions arranged by the local fire department.