Mika Tervala
{{MedalTableTop|Mika Tervala FIN151.jpg|200px}}
{{MedalCountry| {{FIN}} }}
{{MedalSport|Men's mountain bike orienteering}}
{{MedalCompetition| World Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 2002 Fontainebleau | Sprint }}
{{MedalGold| 2004 Ballarat | Relay }}
{{MedalGold| 2005 Banská Bystrica | Relay }}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Joensuu | Long }}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Joensuu | Relay }}
{{MedalGold| 2007 Nové Město na Moravě | Middle }}
{{MedalSilver| 2004 Ballarat | Long }}
{{MedalSilver| 2006 Joensuu | Middle }}
{{MedalBronze| 2002 Fontainebleau | Relay }}
{{MedalBronze| 2005 Banská Bystrica | Middle }}
{{MedalCompetition| European Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Warsaw | Long }}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Warsaw | Relay }}
{{MedalGold| 2007 Castelfiorentino | Middle }}
{{MedalGold| 2007 Castelfiorentino | Long }}
{{MedalSilver| 2006 Warsaw | Middle }}
{{MedalBottom}}
Mika Tervala is a Finnish mountain bike orienteering competitor, World Champion and European Champion. He won individual gold medals at the 2002, 2006 and 2007 World Championships, and a gold medal in the relay in 2004, 2005 and 2006.{{cite web|url= http://orienteering.org/calendarresults/mountain-bike-orienteering/world-mtb-orienteering-championships/ |title=World MTB Orienteering Championships |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=22 June 2009 }} Mika coaches the Finnish national mountain bike orienteering teams since spring 2008.{{cite web | url = http://www.ssl.fi/ssl/sslweb.nsf/sp3?Open&cid=content41CE4C | title = Skyttä ja Tervala pyöräsuunnistajien valmentajaksi | publisher = Finnish Orienteering Federation | accessdate = 14 March 2008 | language = Finnish | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110720193352/http://www.ssl.fi/ssl/sslweb.nsf/sp3?Open&cid=content41CE4C | archivedate = 20 July 2011 }}
Early sports career
Tervala started his sports career with biathlon. He competed in biathlon until 1993, when he switched to ski orienteering.{{cite web|first=Pirjo | last=Valjanen |title=Mika Tervala continues his quest for gold |url=http://www.orienteering.org/i3/index.php?/iof2006/content/download/1633/7696/file/O-zine%203-2007.pdf |work=O-zine |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |issue=3|date=October 2007 |accessdate=23 June 2009}}
Mountain bike orienteering
=2002-2005=
After his ski orienteering period Tervala experienced several successful years in mountain bike orienteering. He competed at the very first World Championships, in Fontainebleau in 2002, where he won a gold medal in the sprint, placed ninth in the long distance, and earned a bronze medal in the relay with the Finnish team.{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=72 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2002 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}} At the 2004 World Championships in Ballarat he placed sixth in the middle distance, won a silver medal in the long distance, and a gold medal in the relay together with Timo Sarkkinen and Jussi Mäkilä.{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=61 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2004 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}} He won a bronze medal in the middle distance at the 2005 World Championships in Banská Bystrica, and the Finnish team won the gold medal in the relay with the same team as in 2004 (Tervala, Timo Sarkkinen, Jussi Mäkilä).{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=60 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2005 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}}
=2006-2008=
In 2006 the World Championships were held in Joensuu in Finland. Tervala won a silver medal in the middle distance, and gold medals in the long distance and in the relay (with Jussi Mäkilä and Tuomo Tompuri).{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=58 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2006 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}} At the European Championships in Warsaw in August–September 2006, Tervala won gold medals in the long distance and in the relay, and a silver medal in the middle distance.{{cite web|url= http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=100 |title= European MTB Orienteering Championships 2006 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=26 June 2009 }} At the European Championships in Castelfiorentino 2007 Tervala won gold medals in both the long distance and the middle distance.{{cite web|url= http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=98 |title=European MTB Orienteering Championships 2007. Castelfiorentino, Tuscany, Italy, 4–10 June |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=26 June 2009 }} The 2007 World Championships were held in Nové Město na Moravě in August. Tervala placed fifth in the sprint distance and won a gold medal in the middle distance, while the Finnish relay team placed fifth.{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=57 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2007 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}} He also participated at the 2008 World Championships in Ostróda, where he placed sixth in the relay with the Finnish team.{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=50 | title=World MTB Orienteering Championships 2008 |publisher=International Orienteering Federation |accessdate=11 July 2018}}