Paralympics gold-medalist Leo-Pekka Tähti enjoying his success

Many feel the Pori native is the best Finnish athlete of the year

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By Jarmo Färdig in Pori
     
      The two gold medals won by Leo-Pekka Tähti at the Athens Paralympics have given a boost to Finnish sports fans. The sensational wins of the 21-year-old Pori native in the 100 and 200 metres wheelchair events have created a movement that is demanding that Tähti be selected Athlete of the Year.
      The newspaper Ilta-Sanomat ran an online survey last week that drew over 8,000 respondents. A whopping 86 percent of the voters felt that Tähti has been the country's number one athlete this year.
      "Yeah, I've heard about some pretty high numbers and large percentages myself", Tähti smiles, sitting in the café of the sports arena in his home town of Pori.
      "My accomplishments seem to have aroused some discussion, but I have never dreamed of being named the best of the year. Even a place on the list of candidates would be a great victory for disabled athletes."
     
Sports journalists pick the best athletes of the year in December. Disabled athletes have traditionally been nominated only in their own separate category.
      The double gold medallist is proud and pleased with his feat. Tähti has a congenital spinal cord disability, so it is easy for him to put sports in its own place.
      "The success has not gone to my head, and it won't. It is important to keep your head cool, and I have no reason to create a fuss."
      The champion also thanks his coach Juha Flinck for his efforts, and emphasises the significance of their cooperation.
      "Juha's participation is one of the key factors behind my success."
      The Finnish Paralympic team won eight medals in Athens.
     
Tähti returned home to Pori last Thursday. His calendar has been fully booked since then, and his new car, which Tähti bought last spring, has been put to good use logging one kilometre after another.
      Today, Minister of Culture Tanja Karpela will host an official medal celebration for Tähti and the other medallists in Helsinki.
      "I am not nervous, because I am not the type to get nervous. If I am invited to the Independence Day reception at the Presidential Palace, the jitters will probably grow as the big day comes nearer."
      "I have received many pats on the back over the past few days, but that is actually just nice. No one has stabbed me, at least not yet", the young man remarks. "My old friends have stayed the same."
     
The most memorable moment of Tähti's sporting career to date occurred after the 200 metres event in Athens. He had dreamed of winning a medal after performing well in the heats and semi-finals, but the gold was a huge surprise even for him personally.
      "At first I was completely in shock and I could feel the emotions churning in my body. After the lap of honour I felt strangely emotional", he recalls.
      Tähti's parents and godfather were on site at the Athens Olympic stadium to cheer him on. Both mother and father cried with joy in the stands after the victory. Tähti's girlfriend Sari Hakkarainen watched the final at home in Finland.
     
Tähti was in top form at the most critical moment of his season. He is also a rare Finn in the sense that he expresses his opinions directly, and his answers are much more than simply Yes or No.
      "I cannot understand how the Finnish athletes (without disabilities) were so pleased in Athens even though only a few of them achieved their best result of the season at the Olympics. I really cannot understand that."
      Tähti openly admits that he is extremely competitive. He enjoys meeting challenges, and obviously is not afraid to tackle them.
      He follows sports closely. His favourite sport is ice hockey, and his favourite team is, naturally, the Ässät team from Pori.
      He even kept up to date with the achievements of Ässät while in Athens - the team's coach Mika Toivola kept Tähti informed about the results with SMS messages.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.10.2004
     
     
Note: Supporters of Leo-Pekka Tähti gained a useful ally on Tuesday October 12th, after this article was first published, when the Minister of Culture Tanja Karpela  (Centre), whose responsibilities also include sports, came out strongly in favour of allowing disabled athletes to compete for the same trophies as anyone else when the sports journalists vote on the sporting personalities of the year. Karpela argued that there should be no artificial barriers, and her views echo those of the many who believe Leo-Pekka's performance in Athens is the best thing they have seen from a Finnish athlete in a long time.
     
       

More on this subject:
 One clear favourite at the Pori market square

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Sports Round-Up: Räikkönen 3rd in China’s F1 debut, Tähti takes second Paralympics gold (27.9.2004)
  Second gold medal at Paralympics; javelin thrower misses out by 10 cm (22.9.2004)

JARMO FÄRDIG / Helsingin Sanomat
jarmo.fardig@hs.fi