Pekka Kuvaja
Encyclopedia
Armas Petter "Pekka" Kuvaja (June 15, 1921, Heinävesi
– November 21, 2003) was a Finnish
cross country skier who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
He was born in Heinävesi
and died in Tampere
.
In the 50 km event at the Winter Olympics, he finished seventh in 1948
and ninth in 1952
. Also, in 1954, he became the first non-Swede to finish first in the Vasaloppet
.
Heinävesi
Heinävesi is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
– November 21, 2003) was a 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...
cross country skier who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
He was born in Heinävesi
Heinävesi
Heinävesi is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
and died in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
.
In the 50 km event at the Winter Olympics, he finished seventh in 1948
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
and ninth in 1952
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
. Also, in 1954, he became the first non-Swede to finish first in the Vasaloppet
Vasaloppet
Vasaloppet is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March in northwestern Dalarna, Sweden between the village of Sälen and town of Mora. It is the oldest, one of the longest, and in popular consideration the biggest cross-country ski race in the world...
.