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WRESTLING
Wrestling comes second to only track and field athletics as the most successful summer sport in Finnish Olympic history. The
first Finnish Olympic champion in any sport was the wrestler Verner Weckman who won gold at the Intercalated Games in
Athens 1906 and in London 1908. Over the years Finland has won a total of 83 Olympic medals in wrestling, the most recent
of which was Marko Yli-Hannuksela’s silver in Athens 2004. The latest Finnish gold medal was won by Jouko Salomäki in Los
Angeles 1984.
MEN
Rami Hietaniemi
* 28 December 1982 Perho
Present residence: Seinäjoki
180 cm, 92 kg
Club: Nurmon Jymy
Coach: Marko Yli-Hannuksela
Category: Greco-Roman 85 kg
Rami Hietaniemi took up strength sports inspired by Arsi Harju, the 2000 Olympic shot put champion who hails
from the same small village. Instead of shot putter, he became a wrestler. In 2011 Rami won bronze at the World
Championships in Istanbul, but knee injury spoiled his Olympic debut in London. His wrestling career nearly came to
an end in 2013, when his ulnar nerve was disrupted in a failed operation. Rami fought his way back to fitness to win
European Championship silver in front of home crowd in 2014. He clinched his ticket to Rio by finishing fifth at the
World Championships of 2015 in Las Vegas.
PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES:
2012 15th (84 kg).
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2004 EurCh 14th (96 kg).
2005 WCh 12th (96 kg).
2006 WCh 21st (96 kg). EurCh 11th (96 kg).
2007 WCh 10th (96 kg).
2009 WCh 16th (96 kg). EurCh 9th (96 kg).
2010 WCh 24th (84 kg).
2011 WCh bronze (84 kg). EurCh 11th (96 kg).
2012 EurCh 24th (84 kg).
2013 WCh 5th (84 kg).
2014 WCh 28th (85 kg). EurCh silver (85 kg).
2015 WCh 5th (85 kg).