Eero Mäntyranta


Eero Antero Mäntyranta was one of the most successful Finnish cross-country skiers. He competed in four Winter Olympics winning seven medals at three of them. His performance at the 1964 Winter Olympics earned him the nickname "Mister Seefeld", referring to the venue where the cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions took place. The Finnish Ministry of Education endowed him with the Pro Urheilu letter of recognition in 2000. There is also a museum centered on Mäntyranta in his birthplace of Pello.

Genetics and doping

Mäntyranta had primary familial and congenital polycythemia causing an increase in red blood cell mass and hemoglobin due to a mutation in the erythropoietin receptor gene, which was identified following a DNA study done on over 200 members of his family, as reported in 1993. This condition results in an increase of up to 50% in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, a large advantage when participating in endurance events.
In 1972 Mäntyranta was the first Finnish sportsman who tested positive for doping. He later admitted taking hormones, which was not prohibited in those years.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.

Olympic Games