Väinö Koskela, Finnish long-distance runner, Died at 95

  Sports

Väinö Koskela was born on March 31, 1921, and died on September 10, 2016.

He was a Finnish long-distance runner.

He was originally a cross-country skier, he was inspired to take up track and field athletics by Finnish victories in the long-distance running events at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Koskela started competing in 1945, following service in World War II, and made his first international appearance at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where he placed seventh in the men’s 5000 metres event.

In that same year he was a national champion in both the 5000 metres and cross-country running and retained the former title through 1949.

During 1950 he took home a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at that year’s European Athletics Championships and continued to participate through the 1952 Summer Olympics, after which he retired from active competition and resumed a life of farming.

Väinö Koskela passed away at 95 years old.