Hannu Manninen
Encyclopedia
Hannu Kalevi Manninen is a Finnish
nordic combined
athlete. Debuting at the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
at the age of 15, he took his first medal three years later at the age of 18 when he won silver in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
. At the 2002 Winter Olympics
, he won a gold medal in the 4 x 5 km team event at the age of 23. He has five other Nordic skiing World Championships medals, earning three golds (4 x 5 km team: 1999, 2007 and 7.5 km sprint: 2007) and two bronzes (4 x 5 km team: 2001, 2003). He has two other Olympic team medals as well (silver: 1998, bronze: 2006).
Manninen has the record for most wins (48) and most championship titles (4), after passing Kenji Ogiwara
's records during the 2006-07 season, in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. He also has won the 7.5 km sprint event of the Nordic combined three times (2002, 2004, 2005) at the Holmenkollen ski festival
.
As a cross country skier
, he finished 8th in the individual sprint event at the 2002 Winter Olympics. His younger sister, Pirjo is a cross country skier who has also won several World Championship medals, including three golds at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
(Individual sprint: 2001, 4 x 5 km: 2007, 2009). They are the first brother-sister combination to ever win gold medals at the same championships.
Manninen announced his retirement from competition on May 29, 2008 to focus on his family and a future career as an airline pilot.
He made his comeback to World Cup on November 28, 2009 in Ruka (Kuusamo), Finland, where he finished 2nd. Day after he won his first race after comeback. The first race in 2010 took place in Oberhof Germany where Manninen won for the 47th time in his sporting career.
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...
nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
athlete. Debuting at the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
at the age of 15, he took his first medal three years later at the age of 18 when he won silver in the 4 x 5 km team event 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...
. At the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, he won a gold medal in the 4 x 5 km team event at the age of 23. He has five other Nordic skiing World Championships medals, earning three golds (4 x 5 km team: 1999, 2007 and 7.5 km sprint: 2007) and two bronzes (4 x 5 km team: 2001, 2003). He has two other Olympic team medals as well (silver: 1998, bronze: 2006).
Manninen has the record for most wins (48) and most championship titles (4), after passing Kenji Ogiwara
Kenji Ogiwara
is a former Japanese Nordic combined skier who won several medals at the Winter Olympics, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and the Holmenkollen ski festival....
's records during the 2006-07 season, in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. He also has won the 7.5 km sprint event of the Nordic combined three times (2002, 2004, 2005) at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
.
As a cross country skier
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, he finished 8th in the individual sprint event at the 2002 Winter Olympics. His younger sister, Pirjo is a cross country skier who has also won several World Championship medals, including three golds 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...
(Individual sprint: 2001, 4 x 5 km: 2007, 2009). They are the first brother-sister combination to ever win gold medals at the same championships.
Manninen announced his retirement from competition on May 29, 2008 to focus on his family and a future career as an airline pilot.
He made his comeback to World Cup on November 28, 2009 in Ruka (Kuusamo), Finland, where he finished 2nd. Day after he won his first race after comeback. The first race in 2010 took place in Oberhof Germany where Manninen won for the 47th time in his sporting career.