Kalle Järvinen

Kalle Järvinen was a Finnish track and field athlete who specialised in the shot put. Järvinen had a consistent record at the national championships where he won four silver medals (1926–27, 1929, 1931) and a bronze (1928). He was selected to compete in the shot put at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics but did not start. Four years later he finally got his chance to participate at the Olympics when he finished ninth in the shot put at the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

During World War II Järvinen joined the Finnish Army and fought in the Continuation War. He suffered an ignominious end, however, after being shot dead by a fellow solider in a drunken brawl in 1941. The solider responsible for the death was court-martialled and was handed an eight-year prison sentence. Järvinen’s father Verner and his two brothers Akilles and Matti all competed at the Olympics. Akilles was also killed in World War II during a military training flight.

Personal Best: SP – 15.92 (1932).