Ville Pörhölä

Ville Pörhölä

Ville Pörhölä in 1920
Personal information
Full name	Frans Wilhelm Pörhölä
Born	24 December 1897 Alatornio, Finland
Died	28 November 1964 (aged 66) Oulu, Finland
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	90–105 kg (198–231 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Shot put, discus throw, hammer throw
Club	Oulun Pyrintö, Oulu Kuopion Urheilu-Veikot, Kuopio Kajaanin Kipinä, Kajaani
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	SP – 14.87 m (1925) DT – 41.48 m (1920) HT – 53.77 m (1931)
Medal record Representing Finland Olympic Games 1920 Antwerp Shot put 1932 Los Angeles Hammer throw EAA European Championships 1934 Turin Hammer throw

Frans Wilhelm "Ville" Pörhölä (originally Horneman, 24 December 1897 – 28 November 1964) was a Finnish athlete who competed in shot put, discus throw, hammer throw and weight throw.

Pörhölä won the gold medal in shot put at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He also competed in discus throw finishing in eighth place and in weight throw in which he was ninth. He later concentrated on work leaving his sports career behind him. He re-emerged in the sports scene as a hammer thrower in 1929, and later became an Olympic silver medalist in 1932 and European champion in 1934. At his last Olympics in 1936 he finished 11th.

Nationally Pörhölä won eight Finnish titles: in standing triple jump in 1922, in shot put in 1929–31 and in hammer throw in 1934–35. He also won the British AAA shot put title in 1922. His trademark was wearing a cap in competitions.

After retiring from competitions Pörhölä worked for a large Finnish timber company, eventually becoming its managing director. He also served as president of the Sports Federation of Lapland in 1946–50.

Pörhölä originated from the island of Röyttä, near Tornio, and was known in Finland as Röyttän karhu ("The Bear from Röyttä").