Ari Paunonen
Ari Paunonen (born 10 March 1958) is a Finnish male former middle- and long-distance runner who competed over distances from 800 metres up to 10,000 metres. His best international performances at a major event were bronze at the 1977 European Cup and fifth at the 1983 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[1][2] He was also the 1500 m silver medallist at the Nordic Indoor Athletics Championships in 1986.[3]
His personal best time of 3:55.65 minutes for the mile run is a Finnish record. He also set a European under-20 record of 7:43.20 minutes for the 3000 metres in 1977.[4] As a junior athlete he won back-to-back 1500 m titles at the European Athletics Junior Championships in 1975 and 1977, as well as a junior race bronze at the 1977 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[5][6] At national level he won a middle-distance double at the Finnish Athletics Championships in 1977, won a second 1500 m title in 1979 and took three short course cross country titles between 1977 and 1980.[7] He was also a four-time national indoor champion.[8]
Born in Sulkava, he later became editor of Juoksija, a Finnish sports and fitness magazine.[9] He married Alia Virkberg, also a former distance runner.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | European Junior Championships | Athens, Greece | 1st | 1500 m | 3:44.8 |
| 1977 | World Cross Country Championships | Düsseldorf, West Germany | 3rd | Junior race | 23:39 |
| 6th | Junior team | 98 pts | |||
| European Junior Championships | Donetsk, Soviet Union | 1st | 1500 m | 3:41.6 | |
| European Cup | Helsinki, Finland | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:45.90 | |
| 1978 | European Championships | Prague, Czechoslovakia | 9th (h) | 1500 m | 3:45.0 |
| 1980 | World Cross Country Championships | Paris, France | 136th | Senior race | 40:15 |
| 1983 | European Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 5th | 3000 m | 7:59.53 |
| 1985 | World Cross Country Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 66th | Senior race | 35:00 |
| 9th | Team | 439 pts | |||
| 1986 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 14th (h) | 1500 m | 3:50.07 |
| Nordic Indoor Championships | Lidingö, Sweden | 2nd | 1500 m | 3:46.07 | |
| 1988 | World Cross Country Championships | Auckland, New Zealand | 144th | Senior race | 38:40 |
National titles
- Finnish Athletics Championships
- 800 metres: 1977
- 1500 metres: 1977, 1979
- Cross country short course: 1977, 1979, 1980
- Finnish Indoor Athletics Championships
- 1500 m: 1981
- 3000 m: 1978, 1983
- 5000 m: 1987
Personal bests
- 800 metres – 1:47.74 (1977)
- 1500 metres – 3:38.07 (1977)
- Mile run – 3:55.65 (1977)
- 3000 metres – 7:43.2 (1977)
- 5000 metres – 13:31.56 (1987)
- 10,000 metres – 28:25.16 (1987)
References
- ^ Ari Paunonen. Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ European Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ Nordic Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ "European Junior Records - Men". EAA. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ^ IAAF World Cross Country Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ European Junior Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ Finnish Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ Finnish Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ Juha Kanerva (August 2021). "Tapio Pekolan elämä päättyi avustettuun itsemurhaan". Ilta Sanomat. Urheilulehti. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
