34 / 76
34
SAILING
Finnish sailors have participated at every Olympic regatta since 1936. Finland has collected a total of eleven Olympic medals
in sailing between 1912 and 2012: two gold, two silver and seven bronze. The two gold medals were won by Esko Rechardt in
Finn class in 1980 and Thomas Johanson and Jyrki Järvi in 49er in 2000. In London 2012 sailors won two of Finland’s three
medals, as Tuuli Petäjä took silver in women’s RX:S sailboard class and the team of Silja Lehtinen, Silja Kanerva and Michaela
Wulff bronze in women’s match racing.
MEN
Joonas Lindgren
* 31 May 1986 Helsinki
Present residence: Helsinki
170 cm, 65 kg
Club: Helsingfors Segelklubb
Coach: Simone Malagugini
Class: 470
Joonas Lindgren was defeated by his younger brother Niklas in competition for Finland’s quota place in the 470
class at the 2008 Olympic regatta in Qingdao. In the following year the brothers joined forces with Joonas at the
helm. They made their international breakthrough in May 2012 by finishing fourth at the World Championships in
Barcelona. Their first joint Olympic regatta in Weymouth was not successful, but during the subsequent Olympiad
the brothers have established themselves in the world elite of the 470 class. Joonas holds a degree in economics
from the University of Tallinn, Estonia.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2012 21st 470 (with Niklas Lindgren)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS (all in 470):
2006 EurCh 77th (with Juuso Lautiainen).
2007 WCh 81st (with Juuso Lautiainen).
2008 WCh 58th (with Niko Helander).
2009 WCh 39th (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 25th (with Niklas Lindgren).
2010 WCh 19th (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 32nd (with Niklas Lindgren).
2011 WCh 22nd (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 10th (with Niklas Lindgren).
2012 WCh 4th (with Niklas Lindgren).
2013 WCh 12th (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 9th (with Niklas Lindgren)
2014 WCh 20th (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 4th (with Niklas Lindgren)
2015 WCh 5th (with Niklas Lindgren). EurCh 23rd (with Niklas Lindgren)
2016 EurCh 18th (with Niklas Lindgren).