Eero Mäntyranta
Encyclopedia
Eero Antero Mäntyranta (born 20 November 1937 in Turtola (cur. Pello
)) is a former Finnish
skier
and multiple Olympic
Champion. With his seven medals from four Winter Olympics, he is one of the most successful skiers Finland has ever produced.
His extraordinary success 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 Pello.
He is the first Finnish sportsman to have tested positive for doping
. At the 1972 national championships, his tests showed use of amphetamine
, but the result was hushed up. After the Sapporo Winter Olympics
, the fact came to light but was and has been denied by Mäntyranta. Later Mäntyranta has admitted to using hormones, which during his sports career were not yet prohibited. Mäntyranta
has primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PFCP) causing increase in red blood cell mass and hemoglobin due to a mutation in the erythropoietin receptor
(EPOR) 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.
Mäntyranta also finished 19th the 30 km event at the 1972 Winter Olympics
in Sapporo.
Pello
Pello is a municipality of Finland.It is located approximately north of the Arctic Circle in the western partprovince of Lapland and is part of the Lapland region. The municipality is at the national border with Sweden by the Tornionjoki-river. The municipality has a population of and covers an...
)) is a former Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
skier
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and multiple Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Champion. With his seven medals from four Winter Olympics, he is one of the most successful skiers Finland has ever produced.
His extraordinary success at the 1964 Winter Olympics
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
earned him the nickname "Mister Seefeld", referring to the venue where the cross-country skiing and biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
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 Pello.
He is the first Finnish sportsman to have tested positive for doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
. At the 1972 national championships, his tests showed use of amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
, but the result was hushed up. After the Sapporo Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, the fact came to light but was and has been denied by Mäntyranta. Later Mäntyranta has admitted to using hormones, which during his sports career were not yet prohibited. Mäntyranta
has primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PFCP) causing increase in red blood cell mass and hemoglobin due to a mutation in the erythropoietin receptor
Erythropoietin receptor
The erythropoietin receptor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EPOR gene. EpoR is a 59 kDa peptide and is a member of the cytokine receptor family. EpoR pre-exists as dimers...
(EPOR) gene, which was identified following a DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
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.
Accomplishments
- three Olympic gold medals: Squaw Valley1960 Winter OlympicsThe 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
1960 (4 x 10 km Relay) and Innsbruck1964 Winter OlympicsThe 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
1964 (15 km and 30 km) - two Olympic silver medals: Innsbruck 1964 (relay) and Grenoble1968 Winter OlympicsThe 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
1968 (15 km) - two Olympic bronze medals: Grenoble 1968 (30 km and relay)
- two World Championships gold medals: Zakopane 1962 (30 km) and Oslo 1966 (30 km), two silver: 1962 (relay) and 1966 (relay), one bronze: 1966 (50 km)
- National domestic championships: five gold, two silver and two bronze
- Holmenkollen ski festivalHolmenkollen ski festivalThe Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
championships first place 1962, 1964 and 1968 (15 km) - Holmenkollen medalHolmenkollen medalThe Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 1964 (Shared with Veikko KankkonenVeikko KankkonenVeikko Kankkonen is a Finnish ski jumper who was active in the 1960's.Kankkonen earned two ski jumping medals at the 1964 Winter Olympics with a gold in the individual normal hill and a silver in the individual large hill...
, Georg ThomaGeorg ThomaGeorg Thoma is a former German nordic combined skier. He won two Winter Olympic medals in the Nordic combined with gold in 1960 and bronze in 1964....
, and Halvor NæsHalvor NæsHalvor Næs is a former Norwegian ski jumper who competed in the 1950s. His only victory was in 1953 and he finished fifth in the individual large hill event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo....
.). - SalpausselkäSalpausselkäSalpausselkä is an extensive ridge system left by the ice age in Southern Finland. It is a large terminal moraine formation that formed in front of the Baltic ice lake during the Younger Dryas period about 12.250 - 10.400 years ago....
games win 1964 an 1972.
Mäntyranta also finished 19th the 30 km event at the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
in Sapporo.