Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi


Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi is a Finnish former cross-country skier.

Career

She was the big figure at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, winning all three individual cross-country skiing events, and a bronze medal for Finland in the relay. In the process, she became the most successful athlete at the 1984 Winter Olympics. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she won another relay bronze medal, and at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she won two more bronze medals in the 5 and 30 km.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Kirvesniemi won three golds in the 10 km and 4 × 5 km relay, and five silvers in the 5 km, 10 km and 15 km. She also won the 20 km double pursuit at the 1989 Holmenkollen ski festival.
Kirvesniemi won the Holmenkollen medal in 1989. Her husband, Harri, would be awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1998. They were the third husband-and-wife pair that won this prestigious honor. They are the only married couple to have both competed at six Olympics, and are among the only five Finns to have done so - the others being Raimo Helminen, Teemu Selänne, Kyra Kyrklund, and Juha Hirvi.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.

Olympic Games

Year Age 5 km 10 km
classical 		10 km
freestyle 		15 km Pursuit 20 km 30 km 4 × 5 km
relay
197822—2316Gold
1982261711174
198529SilverSilver124
198933Gold—Silver8Gold
199135Silver—12—4
19933714Silver——4

World Cup

Season titles

Individual podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
1 1982–83 12 December 1982 Val di Sole, Italy5 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
2 1982–83 25 February 1983 Falun, Sweden10 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
3 1982–83 5 March 1983 Lahti, Finland5 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
4 1982–83 12 March 1983 Oslo, Norway20 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
5 1982–83 20 March 1983 Anchorage, United States10 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
6 1982–83 27 March 1983 Labrador City, Canada10 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
71983–8417 December 1983 Autrans, France10 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
81983–849 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia10 km IndividualOlympic Games1st
91983–8412 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia5 km IndividualOlympic Games1st
101983–8418 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia20 km IndividualOlympic Games1st
111983–8425 February 1984 Falun, Sweden10 km IndividualWorld Cup3rd
121983–848 March 1984 Oslo, Norway20 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
13 1984–85 19 February 1985 Seefeld, Austria10 km IndividualWorld Championships2nd
14 1984–85 21 February 1985 Seefeld, Austria5 km IndividualWorld Championships2nd
151987–8819 December 1987 Reit im Winkl, West Germany5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
161987–8817 March 1988 Oslo, Norway30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
171988–8917 February 1989 Lahti, Finland10 km Individual CWorld Championships1st
181988–8921 February 1989 Lahti, Finland15 km Individual CWorld Championships2nd
191988–894 March 1989 Oslo, Norway20 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
20 1990–91 12 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy5 km Individual CWorld Championships2nd
21 1991–92 4 January 1992 Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
22 1991–92 7 March 1992 Funäsdalen, Sweden5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
23 1992–93 9 January 1993 Ulrichen, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
24 1992–93 19 February 1993 Falun, Sweden15 km Individual CWorld Championships2nd
25 1993–94 8 January 1994 Kavgolovo, Russia10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
26 1993–94 15 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway5 km Individual COlympic Games3rd
27 1993–94 24 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway30 km Individual COlympic Games3rd

Team podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammates
1 1983–84 15 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia4 × 5 km RelayOlympic Games3rdMäättä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen
2 1983–84 26 February 1984 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km RelayWorld Cup2ndHyytiäinen / Määttä / Savolainen
3 1984–85 10 March 1985 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km RelayWorld Cup3rdMäättä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen
4 1987–88 21 February 1988 Calgary, Canada4 × 5 km Relay FOlympic Games3rdMäättä / Matikainen / Savolainen
5 1987–88 13 March 1988 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndMatikainen / Hyytiäinen / Määttä
61988–8923 February 1989 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships1stMäättä / Savolainen / Matikainen
7 1990–91 10 March 1991 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdLukkarinen / Lahtinen / Savolainen
8 1991–92 8 March 1992 Funäsdalen, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdRiikola / Lukkarinen / Savolainen
9 1993–94 4 March 1994 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdLukkarinen / Pyykkönen / Lahtinen

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.