Anssi Koivuranta
| Anssi Koivuranta | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Anssi Einar Koivuranta |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) |
| Ski club | Kuusamon Erä-Veikot |
| World Cup career | |
| Seasons | 2003–present |
| Wins | 5 |
| Updated on 7 January 2009. | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's nordic combined | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
2006 Turin | 4 x 5 km team |
| World Championships | ||
 |
2007 Sapporo | 4 x 5 km team |
|
2007 Sapporo | 15 km individual |
Anssi Koivuranta (born July 3, 1988) is a Nordic combined skier from Finland. He won the gold medal in the 4 × 5 km team event and a bronze medal in the 15 km Gundersen race at the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo. He is known for his immense ski jumping skills, but has also improved his cross-country skiing during season 2008-2009.
Early life and career
Born in Oulu, Koivuranta represents the sports club Kuusamon Erä Veikot from Kuusamo.[1] He began with ski jumping when he was six years old, breaking his arm in a jump during his first year. He took up Nordic combined when he was eight.[2] Koivuranta eventually grew to be 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) tall; his weight is 55 kilograms (121 lb).[2]
Koivuranta made his international debut in the B World Cup in March 2003.[1] Koivuranta competed in the World Cup for the first time in Kuusamo 2003, but was disqualified from both races because he had too long skis.[citation needed] In February 2004 he won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Stryn. In March 2004, at the very end of the 2003–04 season, Koivuranta made his proper debut in the World Cup circuit—in two races in Lahti, he finished 24th and 23rd respectively.[1]
International career
World Cup breakthrough
Already in December the same year, in the early 2004–05 season, he finished among the top ten for the first time, with an eighth place in the sprint race in Trondheim. His first podium achievement came in January 2005, with a third place in Sapporo. Almost one month after that he finished sixth in the sprint distance at the 2005 World Championships. Before the season was over, he would win a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Rovaniemi.[1]
2005-08
The 2005–06 season saw Koivuranta open with a second place, in Kuusamo in November. During the course of the season he achieved another second place as well as two third places.[1] He also earned a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 team event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. In December 2006 he achieved two second places in a row, and followed with consistent achievements among the top fifteen. At the 2007 World Championships in Sapporo he won the gold medal in the 4 x 5 km team event, won a bronze medal in the 15 km Gundersen race and finished fourth in the sprint. At his last Junior World Championships, held in Tarvisio in March 2007, he won a gold and a silver medal.[1] The same level of performance continued in the 2007–08 season, placing twice on the podium.[1]
World Cup leader
Having been among the better ski jumpers in the Nordic combined sport from 2003, Koivuranta struggled somewhat in the cross-country skiing part. Concentrating on improving his cross-country skiing abilities, from 2005 he managed to improve little by little. He owed his increased share of podium achievements to this training. As of 2008–09 Koivuranta had become one of the better cross-country skiers as well, in part thanks to a newly appointed coach on the Finnish national team.[citation needed] Koivuranta won his first World Cup race in November 2008 in Kuusamo. He followed up with victories in Trondheim and Oberhof in December, and Schonach and Chaux Neuve in January.[1] Thus, he leads the 2008–09 Nordic Combined World Cup with 973 points, 83 points ahead of Magnus Moan.[3]
FM 2009 Winner
In the ski jumping Finnish Championships 2009 the big favourite was Harri Olli. But Koivuranta won the ski jumping championships, despite he is acually a nordic combined skier. Koivuranta won with 13 points before Olli and 19 before Tami Kiuru, who recevied the third place. But Koivuranta says the he would not compete in the Ski jumping world championships in Liberec 2009. He says he has his focus on the nordic combined world championships.
World Cup victories
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2008 | Kuusamo | Gundersen |
| 7 December 2008 | Trondheim | Gundersen |
| 28 December 2008 | Oberhof | Gundersen |
| 4 January 2009 | Schonach | Gundersen |
| 1 February 2009 | Chaux Neuve | Gundersen |
| 14 February 2009 | Klingenthal | Gundersen |
Records
Koivuranta's personal best ski jump is 150 metres.[2] He holds the hill record in Kanzlersgrund, the K-120 hill in Oberhof, with 147 metres.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Anssi Koivuranta at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- ^ a b c http://anzi.kilu.de/index.php?lang=gb&page=anzi/anzi&steck=TRUE&js=true
- ^ 2008-09 Nordic Combined World Cup overall standings – FIS-Ski
- ^ Kanzlersgrund at the Ski Jumping Hill Archive
- ^ Video of Koivuranta's 147 m jump in Oberhof
 | This article has an unclear citation style. |
External links
{{subst:#if:Koivuranta, Anssi|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1988}}
|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1988 births
}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}
|| LIVING = | MISSING = | UNKNOWN = | #default =
}}