Aarne Salovaara

Finnish athlete and gymnast Aarne Salovaara competed at two Olympic Games, winning a medal at each one. Salovaara won the Finnish Sports Royal Championships in 1904 and 1906, with the competition using a similar style of track and field events as the decathlon. After his second title he served as a district secretary for the Finnish gymnastics and sport federation.

At the 1908 London Olympics Salovaara competed in gymnastics and track and field, favouring the throwing events in the latter. In the discus and freestyle javelin throw his distances were not recorded, but in the standard javelin discipline he finished in fourth place with 45.89 metres. Salovaara was also scheduled to compete in the shot put and the Greek-style discus throw, but did not start in either event. In gymnastics Salovaara was part of the Finnish team that won the bronze medal in the all-round event.

Four years later at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics Salovaara once again competed as a gymnast, this time winning silver in the all-round free system team event. He was also scheduled to compete in track and field in the pentathlon, but did not start the competition. After his sporting career, Salovaara worked as a councillor in Kotka from 1915 to 1945.

Personal Bests: DT – 36.22 (1905); JT – 49.60 (1908).