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JENNI MIKKONEN
* February 24, 1980 Lahti
Present residence: Tampere
173 cm, 66 kg
Club: Vesisamoilijat, Lahti
Coaches: Jorma Lehtosalo, Martin Hunter
Beijing will be Jenni’s second Olympic Games but the first under her new surname: she married her team-mate Kalle Mikkonen in the autumn of 2007. As Jenni Honkanen she first came to the fore in 1998, winning a bronze medal in at the European Junior Championships. In Athens 2004 she finished eighth in kayak singles. In May 2008 Jenni won her first medal in an Olympic event, European Championship silver in kayak pairs 500 metres with Anne Rikala. Jenni studies for a Master’s degree in industrial management at the Tampere University of Technology.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2004 8th K-1 500 m.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
1998 WCh 9th K-1 200 m, sf K-4 200 m, sf K-4 500 m.
1999 WCh 9th K-2 200 m, sf K-2 500 m (with Anne Rikala).
2000 EurCh 4th K-1 200 m.
2001 WCh 10th K-2 500 m (with Filippa Sjöberg), 8th K-1 200 m.
2002 WCh 8th K-2 500 m, 9th K-2 200 m, 18th K-2 1000 m (with Filippa Sjöberg).
2003 WCh 9th K-2 200 m, sf K-2 500 m (with Filippa Sjöberg).
2004 EurCh 13th K-2 500 m (with Filippa Sjöberg).
2005 WCh 7th K-2 500 m, 9th K-2 200 m (with Laura Inha). EurCh 6th K-2 500 m (with Laura Inha), bronze K-1 200 m.
2006 WCh 8th K-2 500 m, bronze K-2 200 m (with Anne Rikala). EM bronze K-2 200 m (with Anne Rikala), sf K-2 500 m (with Laura Inha).
2007 WCh 9th K-2 500 m (with Laura Inha).
2008 EurCh silver K-2 500 m (with Anne Rikala).
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ANNE RIKALA
* February 20, 1977 Kangasala
Present residence: Kangasala
170 cm, 67 kg
Club: Kangasalan Melojat
Coach: Jorma Lehtosalo
Anne Rikala made a promising debut at major international canoeing championships in 1997, but a subsequent shoulder operation long hampered her development. She has been a regular finalist at World Championships for many years, however. Anne made her final breakthrough to the world elite in 2007, winning two silver medals in kayak singles at the World Championships in Duisburg. Anne studies sports physiology at the University of Jyväskylä. She also coaches young canoeists at her home club at Kangasala. Her favourite hobbies are cross-country skiing and reading poems and short stories.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
1997 WCh 6th K-1 200 m, sf K-1 500 m. EurCh 7th K-1 500 m, 8th K-1 200 m.
1999 WCh 9th K-2 200 m, sf K-2 500 m (with Jenni Honkanen).
2001 WCh 15th K-2 200 m (with Filippa Sjöberg).
2002 WCh 7th K-1 200 m, 12th K-1 500 m.
2003 WCh 6th K-1 200 m, 10th K-1 500 m.
2004 EurCh 5th K-1 500 m.
2005 WCh 5th K-1 500 m, 8th K-1 200 m. EurCh 4th K-1 500 m.
2006 WCh 8th K-2 500 m, bronze K-2 200 m (with Jenni Honkanen). EurCh 5th K-1 500 m, bronze K-2 200 m (with Jenni Honkanen).
2007 WCh silver K-1 500 m, silver K-1 200 m. EurCh bronze K-1 500 m, silver K-1 200 m, 4th K-1 1000 m.
2008 EurCh silver K-2 500 m (with Jenni Mikkonen).
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MIKA HOKAJÄRVI
* February 6, 1987 Tampere
Present residence: Kangasala
184 cm, 83 kg
Club: Kangasalan Melojat
Coach: Risto Lehtinen
Event: K-2 1000 m
Mika Hokajärvi chose canoeing as his sport “by accident” at the age of 11. For the past few years he has made a name for himself as one of the best young talents in Finnish canoeing. He raced with his older club-mate Kalle Mikkonen in kayak pairs for the first time at the Finnish championships of 2004. Two years later they decided to concentrate on the pairs together at the suggestion of the national team coach Martin Hunter. That decision paid dividends sooner than expected: they finished sixth in 1,000 metres at the World Championships of 2007 in Duisburg and earned a quota place for Beijing in the process. Mika’s other favourite sport is cross-country skiing.
Achievements:2006 WCh sf K-2 500 m (with Kalle Mikkonen).
2007 WCh 6th K-2 1000 m, heats K-2 500 m (with Kalle Mikkonen). EurCh 17th K-2 1000 m, sf K-2 500 m, sf K-2 200 m (with Kalle Mikkonen).
2008 EurCh sf K-2 1000 m, dns sf K-2 500 m (with Kalle Mikkonen).
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KALLE MIKKONEN
* June 18, 1976 Tampere
Present residence: Tampere
191 cm, 94 kg
Club: Kangasalan Melojat
Coach: Martin Hunter
Event: K-2 1000 m
Kalle Mikkonen brings a wealth of experience to the Finnish canoeing team, having competed at major international championships since 1995. He already came close to earning an Olympic quota place in kayak pairs for Sydney 2000. His Olympic debut will now take place in Beijing together with young Mika Hokajärvi. Kalle is a laboratory analyst by training but has concentrated on his canoeing career. His wife Jenni Mikkonen will also take part in the Olympic canoeing competitions in Beijing.
Achievements:1995 WCh sf K-4 500 m.
1997 EurCh sf K-2 500 m (with Mikko Keso).
1998 WCh 6th K-2 200 m, sf K-2 1000 m (with Mikko Keso).
1999 WCh 5th K-2 200 m, 16th K-2 500 m (with Mikko Keso).
2000 EurCh 7th K-2 200 m, sf K-2 500 m (with Mikko Keso).
2001 WCh 9th K-2 500 m (with Mikko Keso).
2002 WCh 15th K-2 500 m, 16th K-2 200 m (with Mikko Keso).
2004 EurCh sf K-2 500 m (with Lauri Palmroth).
2005 WCh heats K-1 1000 m. EurCh sf K-1 1000 m.
2006 WCh sf K-1 1000 m, sf K-2 500 m (with Mika Hokajärvi). EurCh 16th K-1 1000 m, sf K-1 500 m.
2007 WCh 6th K-2 1000 m, heats K-2 500 m (with Mika Hokajärvi). EurCh 17th K-2 1000 m, sf K-2 500 m, sf K-2 200 m (with Mika Hokajärvi).
2008 EurCh sf K-2 1000 m, dns sf K-2 500 m (with Mika Hokajärvi).
