Väinö Kokkinen

Väinö Kokkinen

Väinö Kokkinen at the 1928 Olympics
Personal information
Born	25 November 1899 Hollola, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died	27 August 1967 (aged 67) Kouvola, Finland
Height	172 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	78–85 kg (172–187 lb)
Sport
Sport	Greco-Roman wrestling
Club	HKV, Helsinki HPM, Helsinki
Medal record Representing Finland Olympic Games 1928 Amsterdam Middleweight (−75 kg) 1932 Los Angeles Middleweight (−79 kg) European Championships 1925 Mailand -79 kg 1929 Dortmund -79 kg 1930 Stockholm -79 kg 1931 Prague -79 kg 1933 Helsinki -87 kg

Väinö Kokkinen (25 November 1899 – 27 August 1967) was a Finnish Greco-Roman wrestler. He won two Olympic gold medals in the middleweight category, in 1928 and 1932, and finished in fourth place in 1936. Between 1925 and 1933 he won one gold and four silver medals at the European championships as well as six national titles (1926, 1929–32 and 1934).

Kokkinen was a blacksmith by profession and fought in the Finnish Civil War. He started training in wrestling in 1921, after moving to Helsinki. He retired in 1936 and ran a successful business in the clothing and hospitality industry. In the 1940s he was also a board member of the sports club Helsingin Jyry.