Sylvi Saimo

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name=

|nickname=

|image =Sylvi Saimo 1952.jpg

| image_size =

|caption=Saimo at the 1952 Olympics

|birth_date= 12 November 1914

|birth_place= Jaakkima, Finland

| death_date = 12 March 2004 (aged 89)

| death_place = Laukaa, Finland

| height = 170 cm

| weight = 59–62 kg

|sport=Canoe sprint

|event=

|club=

|alma_mater=

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{FIN}}}}

}}

Sylvi Riitta Saimo ({{née}} Sikiö, 12 November 1914 – 12 March 2004) was a Finnish sprint canoeist and politician. She was the first female Finnish Olympic Champion at the Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in K-1 500 m at the 1952 Summer Olympics. She also competed in cross-country skiing, athletics and orienteering. She was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1966 to 1978.

Personal life

Saimo was born in the former Finnish municipality of Jaakkima (currently Lakhdenpokhsky District, Russia) on 12 November 1914. She died in Laukaa in 2004.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Saimo Sylvi |first1=Ingmar |last1=Björkman |encyclopedia=Uppslagsverket Finland |editor-last=Ekberg | editor-first=Henrik |url=https://www.uppslagsverket.fi/sv/sok/view-103684-SaimoSylvi |language=Swedish |accessdate=10 December 2019}}

Sports career

Saimo competed in several sports, including skiing, athletics, orienteering and canoeing. She won a gold medal in the K-1 500 m event at the 1952 Summer Olympics and finished sixth in 1948.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/sylvi-saimo-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417181924/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/sylvi-saimo-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Sylvi Saimo |accessdate=10 December 2019}} That was first and only gold medal by Finnish woman at Summer Olympics, until Heli Rantanen won the javelin throw contest in 1996.

Saimo also won two gold medals at the 1950 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Copenhagen, earning them in the K-1 500 m and K-2 500 m events (in K-2, jointly with Greta Grönholm).

Other sports achievements include winning a bronze medal at the Finnish championship in orienteering in 1939. In cross-country skiing, she won a bronze medal in the relay at the Finnish championships in 1947, while placing 5th individually in the 10 km distance.

Political career

Saimo was elected representative to the Finnish Parliament for the Centre Party from 1966 to 1978.{{cite web|url=https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/kansanedustajat/Sivut/910139.aspx |title=Sylvi Saimo |website=eduskunta.fi |language=Finnish |accessdate=10 December 2019}}

References

{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105013709/http://canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%201-41%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007-2.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=5 January 2010 |title=Kamber, Raymond, ed. (2008). Medal Winners – Olympic Games and World Championships (1936–2007) – Part 1: flatwater (now sprint). CanoeICF.com. International Canoe Federation. pp. 1–41 |url2=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113142416/http://www.bcu.org.uk/files/Pages%201-41%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007-2.pdf |date2=13 January 2016}}
{{Webarchive |url=https://www.webcitation.org/5l9vPO85Y?url=http://www.canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%2042-83%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=9 November 2009 |title=Kamber, Raymond, ed. (2008). Medal Winners – Olympic Games and World Championships (1936–2007) – Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines. CanoeICF.com. International Canoe Federation. pp. 42–83 |url2=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311071809/http://bcu.org.uk/files/pages%2042-83%20from%20medal%20winners%20icf%20updated%202007.pdf |date2=11 March 2016}}