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Ari-Pekka Liukkonen
* 9 February 1989 Pieksämäki
Present residence: Jyväskylä
208 cm, 92 kg
Club: Cetus, Espoo
Coach: Marko Malvela
Events: 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen made Olympic history in London 2012: towering at 2.08 metres, he became the tallest ever
Finnish Olympic athlete in any sport. In Rio 2016 Ari-Pekka aims to do more than that: in the past four years he
has made a name for himself in the world sprint swimming elite, with European championship bronze in 50 metres
freestyle from 2014 under his belt. The Olympic year has already seen him improve Finnish records in both 50 and
100 metres freestyle. Ari-Pekka’s father was a national team volleyball player.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2012 25th 50m free.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2009 EurShCh 19th 100m free, 25th 50m free, 33rd 50m breaststroke, 38th 100m medley, 49th 50m butterfly,
7th 4x50m free, 14th 4x50m medley.
2010 EurCh 12th 50m free, 47th 50m breaststroke, 50th 100m free, 51st 50m butterfly, 59th 100m breaststroke,
12th 4x100m free. EurShCh 6th 50m free, 8th 100m free, 25th 50m backstroke, 45th 200m free.
2011 WCh 27th 50m free. EurShCh 9th 50m free, 13th 100m free, 30th 100m medley, 35th 50m breaststroke.
2012 EurCh 4th 50m free, 28th 50m butterfly, 33rd 100m free, 34th 50m breaststroke, 43rd 50m backstroke.
EurShCh 14th 50m free, 45th 100m free, 36th 50m breaststroke, 4th 4x50m free, 4th 4x50m medley,
bronze 4x50m mixed free, 10th 4x50m mixed medley.
2013 WCh 19th 50m free. EurShCh 7th 50m free, 36th 100m free, 37th 50m breaststroke, 53rd 50m butterfly,
7th 4x50m free.
2014 EurCh bronze 50m free, 38th 100m free, 30th 50m breaststroke, 54th 50m butterfly, 7th 4x50m mixed
medley. WShCh 19th 50m free, 27th 50m breaststroke, 44th 100m breaststroke.
2015 WCh 22nd 50m free, 48th 100m free, 11th 4x100m mixed medley. EurShCh 6th 50m free, 33rd 100m free,
19th 50m breaststroke, 5th 4x50m free, 9th 4x50m medley, 5th 4x50m mixed free, 6th 4x50m mixed medley.
2016 EurCh 5th 50m free, 39th 100m free.
PERSONAL BESTS:
50m freestyle: 21.92 (2016)
100m freestyle: 49.44 (2016)