'Marjo Tuulevi Matikainen-Kallström' (born
February 3,
1965 in
Lohja) is a
politician and former
Finnish cross-country skier.
Matikainen-Kallström represents
Kokoomus in Finland. From
1996 to
2004 she was a
Member of the European Parliament, and since
2004 she is a member of the
Finnish Parliament. She had a very short but hugely winning sporting career. In the six seasons she competed at top international level, she won the
World Cup three years in a row. At the
1984 Winter Olympics in
Sarajevo, Matikainen-Kallström won a bronze medal in the relay aged just 19.
Four years later in
Calgary she won bronze on the 10 km race, and in the 5 km sprint won gold after being in second place all race until the last
kilometre before coming through to win, 1.3
seconds ahead of
Tamara Tikhonova, who had to settle for silver. That same year she won another bronze medal in the relay.
At the
1987 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in
Oberstdorf, she won the 5 km sprint, and silver in the 10 km. Matikainen-Kallström finished her championship career with a fantastic
1989 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships on her home soil in
Lahti, where she won the following medals:
★ Gold medal in the 15 km
★ Gold medal in the 4 x 5 km
★ Silver medal in the 5 km
★ Silver medal in the 10 km freestyle
★ Bronze medal in the 10 km classical
★ Bronze medal in the 30 km classical
She retired after these championships at 24 years old to concentrate on her studies at the
Helsinki University of Technology and politics.
Matikainen-Kallström also was the first winner of the women's 30 km event at the
Holmenkollen ski festival in
1988.
External links
★
FIS Profile (As Marjo Matikanen Kallstroem)
★
Holmenkollen winners since 1892 - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file