Maarit Lepomäki

{{Short description|Finnish sports shooter (born 1956)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor = #d09df2

| name = Maarit Lepomäki

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Maarit Hillevi Lepomäki

| nickname =

| nationality = {{FIN}}

| residence =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|12|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Pori, Finland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.58|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|64|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| sport = Shooting

| event = Skeet (SK75)

| club = Satakunnan Ampujat

| coach = Lauri Siltavirta

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's shooting}}

{{MedalCountry|{{FIN}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Cup Final}}

{{MedalSilver | 2004 Maribor | SK75 }}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Maarit Hillevi Lepomäki (born 15 December 1956) is a Finnish sport shooter.{{cite sports-reference|title = Maarit Lepomäki|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/le/maarit-lepomaki-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417180112/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/le/maarit-lepomaki-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 17 April 2020|access-date = 16 July 2015}} She produced a career tally of nine medals, including a silver in skeet shooting at the 2004 ISSF World Cup final in Maribor, Slovenia, and was selected to compete for Finland in two editions of the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004).{{cite web|title=ISSF Profile – Maarit Lepomäki|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/athlete.ashx?personissfid=SHFINW1512195601|publisher=ISSF|accessdate=16 July 2015}}{{cite news|first=Matti|last=Viitanen|title=Maarit Lepomäki tyytyväinen skeetin EM-pronssiin|trans-title=Maarit Lepomäki satisfies with her skeet bronze at the European Championships|language=fi|url=http://www.ampumaurheiluliitto.fi/kilpailu/?x48934=7853|publisher=Suomen Ampumaurheiluliitto|date=30 August 2006|accessdate=16 July 2015}}

Lepomaki was born in Pori. Having pursued the sport for more than two decades, she trained full-time for Satakunta Shooting Club ({{langx|fi|Satakunnan Ampujat}}) in her native Pori under personal coach Lauri Siltavirta.{{cite news|first=Matti|last=Viitanen|title=Haulikon EM-kilpailu alkaa keskiviikkona 30. elokuuta|trans-title=World Shotgun Championships begin on Wednesday, August 30|language=fi|url=http://www.ampumaurheiluliitto.fi/kilpailu/?x48934=7853|publisher=Suomen Ampumaurheiluliitto|date=29 August 2006|accessdate=16 July 2015}}

Lepomaki's major Olympic debut came at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she wound up to eleventh in the inaugural women's skeet with a score of 68 out of 75 hits, tying her position with Italy's Cristina Vitali.{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Shooting – Women's Skeet|url=http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sh/SHresults.pdf|format=PDF|work=Sydney 2000|publisher=LA84 Foundation|pages=98–99|accessdate=16 July 2015}}{{cite news|title=Lopussa tuli jumi|trans-title=The end came a stall|language=fi|url=http://www.mtv.fi/sport/olympialaiset/uutiset/artikkeli/lopussa-tuli-jumi/3687456|publisher=MTV Finland|date=21 September 2000|accessdate=16 July 2015}}

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Lepomaki qualified for the second time, as the oldest athlete of the Finnish team (aged 47), in the women's skeet.{{cite news|title=Olympiavalinnoissa laatu selätti määrän|trans-title=Olympic selection outnumbered the athletes|language=fi|url=http://www.mtv.fi/sport/olympialaiset/uutiset/artikkeli/olympiavalinnoissa-laatu-selatti-maaran/3689254|publisher=MTV Finland|date=2 August 2004|accessdate=16 July 2015}} Less than two years before the Games, she had registered a mandatory minimum score of 65 and eventually won the gold medal at the ISSF World Cup meet in Suhl, Germany, occupying one of the available Olympic quota places for her team.{{cite news|title=Marit Lepomäki gewinnt Skeet im Stechen|trans-title=Maarit Lepomäki celebrates her victory in the skeet|language=de|url=http://www.schwaebische.de/home_artikel,-_arid,501038.html|publisher=Schwäbische Zeitung|date=30 August 2002|accessdate=16 July 2015}} Lepomaki aggregated a total record of 67 out of 75 clay targets to share a three-way tie with 2000 Olympic silver medalist and world record holder Svetlana Demina of Russia and 43-year-old Kim Yeun-hee of South Korea for the ninth position, failing to advance to the final round.{{cite news|title=Kurzer, Hungary's Igaly claim golds|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer04/shooting/news/story?id=1862675|publisher=ESPN|date=20 August 2004|access-date=16 July 2015}}{{cite web|title=Shooting: Women's Skeet Prelims|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/shooting/results/3532306.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=31 January 2013}}