- Pekka Koskela
Pekka Koskela (born
29 November 1982 inMänttä ) is a Finnish speedskater, specialising on the sprint distances 500-m and 1000-m. He is the current world record holder on the 1000-m with the time 1.07.00. In December 2001 he set a junior world record on the 500-m with the time 35.89. Since that time he has established himself as one of the 10–15 best speedskating sprinters in the world. He won a bronze medal on the 1000-m in the 2005World Single Distance Championships , and was number 10 in the 500-m of the2006 Winter Olympics . As of December 2006, he has won the 500-m three times and the 1000-m once in theSpeed Skating World Cup .Koskela was one of the two dominating skaters at the 2007 World Sprint Championship in
Vikingskipet ,Hamar . He won both 500-metres, and set a rink record with 34.80, and was leading the proceedings up to the last distance, where he lost the world championship title toLee Kyu-Hyuk . Skating in the very last 1000-m pair, Koskela needed 1:09.03 to equal Lee, which by coincidence was the exact time Koskela achieved on the first day of the championships. Koskela was 0.14 seconds too late to become world champion, however.Pekka Koskela represents a new generation of top international class Finnish speedskating sprinters, which started with achievements of
Janne Hänninen . These skaters includeMika Poutala ,Risto Rosendahl ,Vesa Rosendahl , and Pekka's brotherPasi Koskela . Koskela has been training with his local Seinäjoki coach Aimo Klemetsö since boyhood.Near the end of the 2006–2007 season, Koskela lost his Finnish 500-m twice-achieved 34.80 record to
Mika Poutala , who skated 34.72 to Koskela's 34.86 in the World Cup Finale in Calgary 2–4 March. The following weekend, however, at the World Singe Distances Championships inSalt Lake City , Koskela took the record back, skating 34.63 to Poutala's 34.65. Koskela was ranked #8 in the two times 500-m event, Poutala #10. At the same event, Koskela improved his other Finnish record on the 1000-m, and was ranked #6 with 1:08.04.See also
Lee Kyu-Hyuk External links
* [http://www.pekkakoskela.net/PKoskela/koskela.nsf/start Pekka Koskela's home page]
* [http://www.skateresults.com/skater/show/1403 Pekka Koskela at SkateResults.com]
* [http://www.fotos.desg.de/athletes.php?showAthletes=all&id=727 Photos of Pekka Koskela]
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