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JOONA PUHAKKA
* June 23, 1982 Kerava
178 cm, 79 kg
Club: Vantaan Uimarit
Coach: Mark Bradshaw
Event: Springboard.
Joona Puhakka is already the most successful Finnish diver of all time. He won Finland’s first World Championship medal in Barcelona 2003 and has collected a full series of prizes at European level both in his favoured 1-metre springboard diving and the Olympic 3-metre event. While studying at Arizona State University he won four US collegiate championship titles and was named NCAA Diver of the Year in 2005. He got his Bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2007 but still does most of his training in Arizona under the guidance of coach Mark Bradshaw. Joona chose diving as his sport at nine because “I wanted to see how many somersaults I could do”. After his sports career Joona aims to start his own business but he is also very interested in charity work.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2000 30th 3m springboard.
2004 14th 3m springboard.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS (all in springboard diving):
2000 EurCh 14th 3m, bronze 1m.
2001 WCh 29th 3m, 15th 1m, 9th synchronised.
2002 EurCh 6th 3m, 4th 1m, 9th synchronised.
2003 WCh 23rd 3m, bronze 1m.
2004 EurCh silver 3m, gold 1m.
2005 WCh 9th 3m, 4th 1m.
2006 EurCh bronze 3m, gold 1m, 5th synchronised.
2007 WCh 14th 3m, 23rd 1m, 10th synchronised.
2008 EurCh bronze 3m, silver 1m, 8th synchronised.
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MATTI RAJAKYLÄ
*August 14, 1984 Kirkkonummi
Present residence: Helsinki
188 cm, 87 kg
Club: Helsingfors Simsällskap
Coach: Mika Kekäläinen
Events: 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle
Matti Rajakylä began his international career with bronze in 50 metres freestyle at the European Junior Championships of 2002. In the senior ranks his best result so far has been bronze in non-Olympic 50 metres butterfly at the European Short Course Championships of 2005 in Trieste. In the same year Matti took over as the Finnish record holder in 50 metres freestyle. Beijing will be his second Olympic Games. Matti has a versatile background as an athlete: he used to play basketball, tennis and football before concentrating on his swimming career.
Previous Olympic Games:
2004 33rd 100m free, 11th 4x100 m medley.
Other Achievements:
2002 EurJuniorCh bronze 50m free. EurShCh 21st 50m free, 28th 100m free, silver 4x50m medley, 7th 4x50m free.
2003 WCh 29th 50m free, 36th 100m free, 12th 4x100m medley. EurShCh 19th 50m free, 25th 100m free, 7th 4x50m free.
2004 EurCh 14th 100m free, 21st 50m free, 5th 4x100m medley, 9th 4x100m free. EurShCh 28th 50m free, 31st 100m free, 11th 50m butterfly, bronze 4x50m medley, 9th 4x50m free.
2005 WCh 20th 50m free, 25th 100m free, 24th 50m butterfly. EurShCh 6th 50m free, 10th 100m free, bronze 50m butterfly, 4th 4x50m medley, 8th 4x50m free.
2006 EurCh 25th 50m free, 23rd 100m free, 6th 50m butterfly. EurShCh 8th 50m free, 8th 100m free, 8th 50m butterfly, silver 4x50m medley, 5th 4x50m free.
2007 WCh 20th 50m free, 41st 100m free, 11th 50m butterfly. EurShCh 8th 50m free, 25th 100m free, 7th 50m butterfly, 6th 4x50m free, 7th 4x50m medley.
2008 EurCh 10th 50m free, 32nd 100m free, 10th 50m butterfly. WShCh 23rd 50m free, 29th 100m free, 20th 50m butterfly.
Personal Bests:
50 m freestyle: 22.51 (2008)
100 m freestyle: 49.83 (2007)
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NOORA LAUKKANEN
* February 3, 1993 Helsinki
Present residence: Oulu
165 cm, 59 kg
Club: Oulun Uimarit -73
Coach: Samuli Aalto
Event: 200 m breaststroke
Noora Laukkanen will make Finnish Olympic history in Beijing. At 15 years and 5 months of age, she will become Finland’s youngest ever representative at the Olympic Games, beating the former record of her team-mate Hanna-Maria Seppälä by four months. Beijing will mark Noora’s debut at major international championships at senior level. Her best international achievement so far is second place in 200 metres breaststroke at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Belgrade in 2007.
Personal Bests:2:33.36 (2008)
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EVA LEHTONEN
* June 6, 1991 Helsinki
Present residence: Rochester, Michigan (USA)
168 cm, 60 kg
Club: Oakland Live Y’ers
Coach: Dan Hafner
Events: 400 m freestyle, 800 m freestyle
Eva Lehtonen is about to become Finland’s first ever swimming star who specialises in the longer distances. She made her debut in the Finnish national swimming team at the European Short Course Championships in Helsinki 2006. The Olympic year of 2008 has seen her take over Finnish records in all freestyle distances from 400 to 1500 metres as well as 200 metres butterfl y and 400 metres individual medley. Eva goes to high school in Michigan and swims for a club based in the Detroit area. After graduation she aims to go to a medical school and become a doctor.
Achievements:
2006 EurShCh 21st 400m free, 21st 200m butterfly, 19th 400m medley.
Personal Bests:
400 m freestyle: 4:17.75 (2008)
800 m freestyle: 8:48.76 (2008)
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EMILIA PIKKARAINEN
* October 11, 1992 Syntymäpaikka
Present residence: Vantaa
173 cm, 52 kg
Club: Vantaan Vesikot
Coaches: Jukka Pikkarainen, Esa Sievinen
Event: 100 m butterfly
Emilia Pikkarainen will make her Olympic debut sooner than expected. She has trained with London 2012 on her mind under the guidance of her father Jukka Pikkarainen and Esa Sievinen, father and coach of world champion Jani Sievinen. Emilia’s favourite other pursuits are triathlon and ballet. Her brother Ville is also a promising swimmer.
Personal Bests:1:01.43 (2008)
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HANNA-MARIA SEPPÄLÄ
* December 13, 1984 Kerava
Present residence: Kerava
173 cm, 59 kg
Club: Keravan Uimarit
Coach: Mirjami Seppälä
Events: 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle
No matter what happens in Beijing, Hanna-Maria Seppälä has already earned her place in the history books. At 15 she competed in Sydney 2000 as the youngest ever Finnish Olympic athlete in any sport. In Barcelona 2003 she became the first ever Finnish female swimmer to win a World Championship title – and was elected Athlete of the Year in Finland. A long-standing back injury slowed her progress for a few years, but in the Olympic year of 2008 Hanna-Maria has returned to the medal podium faster than ever. Hanna-Maria has been coached all through her career by her mother Mirjami Seppälä. She took up swimming following the example of her three elder brothers. Hanna-Maria studies for a degree in physiotherapy at a polytechnic institute in Helsinki.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2000 18th 100m free, 28th 50m free.
2004 12th 100m free, 24th 50m free, 36th 100m backstroke.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
1999 EurShCh 13th 50m free, 20th 200m medley.
2000 EurCh 14th 50m free, 12th 100m free, 9th 4x100m free. WShCh 8th 100m medley.
2001 WCh 17th 100m free, 29th 50m free. EurShCh 5th 50m free, 10th 100m free, 7th 100m medley, 5th 4x50m free, 8th 4x50m medley.
2002 EurCh 11th 100m free, 13th 100m backstroke, 14th 50m free, 22nd 50m butterfly, 9th 4x100m free. EurShCh 6th 50m free, 8th 100m medley, 10th 100m free, 15th 50m backstroke.
2003 WCh gold 100m free, 10th 50m free, 16th 50m backstroke, 21st 100m backstroke. EurShCh bronze 100m free, 5th 50m free, 20th 50m backstroke 22nd 100m backstroke, 24th 50m butterfly.
2004 EurCh 7th 100m free, 12th 50m free, 17th 100m backstroke, 11th 4x100m free, 13th 4x100m medley. WShCh 4th 100m medley, 5th 100m free, 16th 50m free, 19th 100m backstroke. EurShCh 6th 100m medley, 8th 100m free, 10th 50m free, 20th 50m breaststroke, 7th 4x50m medley, 12th 4x50m free.
2005 WCh 9th 100m free, 14th 50m free, 31st 100m backstroke, 33rd 50m backstroke. EurShCh gold 100m medley, silver 100m free, 5th 50m free, 10th 4x50m free.
2006 EurCh 5th 100m free, 15th 50m free, 26th 50m butterfly, 31st 100m butterfly. WShCh silver 100m medley, 4th 100m free, 6th 50m free, 20th 50m breaststroke. EurShCh gold 100m medley, bronze 50m free, 4th 100m free, 7th 4x50m medley, 9th 4x50m free.
2007 WCh 12th 100m free, 13th 50m free. EurShCh gold 100m medley, 7th 100m free, 11th 50m free, 6th 4x50m medley, 7th 4x50m free.
2008 EurCh silver 100m free, 8th 50m free, 7th 50m backstroke, 15th 50m butterfly, 6th 4x100m free, 11th 4x100m medley. WShCh silver 100m medley, bronze 100m free, 8th 50m free.
Personal Bests:
50 m freestyle: 25.27 (2008)
100 m freestyle: 54.00 (2008)
