Jukka Keskisalo
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| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jukka Pekka Sakari Keskisalo[1] | ||||||||
| Nationality | Finnish | ||||||||
| Born | 27 March 1981[1][2] Varkaus, Finland[1] | ||||||||
| Height | 184 cm (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1][2] | ||||||||
| Weight | 66 kg (146 lb; 10.4 st)[1][2] | ||||||||
| Website | www.jukkakeskisalo.fi | ||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||
| Country |  Finland | ||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||
| Event | 3000 m steeplechase | ||||||||
| Club | Joensuun Kataja[1][2] | ||||||||
| Coached by | Tommy Ekblom 2001-08 Risto Ulmala 2009 Ismo Hämäläinen 2009- | ||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||
| Olympic finals | 2008: 3000m st DNS | ||||||||
| World finals | 2003: 3000 m st 9th 2005: 3000 m st 7h2 2009: 3000 m st 8th | ||||||||
| Regional finals | 2006: 3000 m st  | ||||||||
| National finals | 2008: 3000 m st 2009: 1500 m | ||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 1500 m: 3:38.90 (2009) 3000 m: 7:49.05 (2009) 5000 m: 13:39.81 (2009) 10,000 m: 29:07.66 (2009) 3000 m st: 8:10.67 (2009, NR) | ||||||||
Medal record
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Jukka Pekka Sakari Keskisalo (born 27 March 1981) is a Finnish athlete competing in 3000 m steeplechase and 1500 m. He won the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2006 European Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg and was also an Olympian in 2012.
Biography[edit]
Background[edit]
Born in Varkaus, Pohjois-Savo, Keskisalo took a medal in the junior race at the Nordic Cross Country Championships, winning the bronze in 2000.
Senior athletics career[edit]
2000s[edit]
Keskisalo finished ninth at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris with his then personal best time, 8:17.72. The next two seasons were hampered by injuries, but he made a strong comeback in 2006 by taking surprise gold at the 2006 European Championships in Athletics. He ran a tactical race, taking advantage of a slow early pace and staying at the rear of the field until the last 500 metres, when he sprinted and overtook the other competitors one by one.[3]
Less than a week after the European Championships, Keskisalo placed fourth at the Golden League meet in Zürich with his new record time 8:16.74. Later, Keskisalo was voted Finnish Sportspersonality of the year, ahead of Tanja Poutiainen and Tero Pitkämäki.[4]
In 2007 Keskisalo suffered from injuries again. In 2008 he competed for a place in and was selected for the Olympics, however he injured just a few days before his event and was not able to compete. Later in the autumn it was announced that Risto Ulmala would replace Tommy Ekblom as his coach.[5]
In 2009 Keskisalo broke his personal best record time twice before the World Championships in Berlin; first a time of 8:15.59 when finishing third at the Golden League event Meeting Areva in Paris, and later a time of 8:12.93 at the Super Grand Prix event Herculis in Monaco. At the World Championships steeplechase final Keskisalo achieved his best result at the global level when finishing eighth with a time of 8:14.47. On 28 August Keskisalo finally broke Tapio Kantanen's 33 years old Finnish record when finishing sixth in a time of 8:10.67 in Weltklasse Zürich. Keskisalo split from coach Ulmala after the 2009 season.[6] His new coach Ismo Hämäläinen was announced in October 2009. Hämäläinen is more known from cross country skiing and had coached Germany in sprint skiing shortly before.[7]
2010s[edit]
In 2012 Keskisalo was able to compete at the Olympics but did not finish the steeplechase final.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Jukka Keskisalo". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Jukka Keskisalo". european-athletics.org. European Athletics. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ "Jukka Keskisalo storms to surprise European gold in 3000 metres steeplechase". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
- ^ "European Champion Jukka Keskisalo chosen Sports Personality of the Year". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
- ^ "Ex-huippujuoksija Ulmala valmentamaan Keskisaloa (In Finnish, Former elite runner Risto Ulmala starts to coach Jukka Keskisalo)". Helsingin Sanomat. 2008-10-19. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ "Keskisalon ja Ulmalan valmennusyhteistyö päättyi (In Finnish)". Helsingin Sanomat. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ "Yllätysnimi Ismo Hämäläinen hiihdosta Keskisalon valmentajaksi (In Finnish)". Helsingin Sanomat. 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ^ "London 2012 3000m steeplechase men Results - Olympic athletics".
External links[edit]
European Athletics Championships champions in men's 3000 metres steeplechase | |
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- 1981 births
- Living people
- People from Varkaus
- Finnish male middle-distance runners
- Finnish male long-distance runners
- Finnish male steeplechase runners
- Olympic athletes for Finland
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- European Athletics Championships medalists
- Sportspeople from North Savo
- Finnish Athletics Championships winners