Teemu Heino

{{short description|Finnish taekwondo practitioner}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor = #eecf70

| name = Teemu Heino

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Teemu Olavi Heino

| nickname =

| nationality = {{FIN}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|12|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kokemäki, Finland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.96|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|97|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| sport = Taekwondo

| event = +80 kg

| club = Kokemäen Taekwondo

| coach = Pia Aaltonen

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's taekwondo}}

{{MedalCountry | {{FIN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}

{{MedalSilver| 2005 Riga | +84 kg}}

{{MedalBronze| 2000 Patras | +84 kg}}

{{MedalBronze| 2002 Samsun | +84 kg}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Teemu Olavi Heino (born 15 December 1976 in Kokemäki) is a Finnish taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the men's heavyweight category.{{cite sports-reference|title = Teemu Heino|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/teemu-heino-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417181755/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/teemu-heino-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 17 April 2020|access-date = 10 January 2015}} He claimed three medals (one silver and two bronze) in the over-84 kg category at the European Championships since 2002, and represented his nation Finland at the 2004 Summer Olympics.{{cite news|title=Vuosi 2005: Kesälajeissa muutama maukas mitali|trans-title=2005 yearender: A few athletes received medals in the Summer|language=fi|url=http://www.mtv.fi/sport/muut-lajit/uutiset/artikkeli/vuosi-2005-kesalajeissa-muutama-maukas-mitali/3636076|publisher=MTV Finland|date=23 December 2005|accessdate=10 January 2015}} Throughout his sporting career, Heino trained full-time for Kokemäen Taekwondo Club in his native Kokemäki, under head coach and master Pia Aaltonen.{{cite news|title=Heino ja Leetberg mitaleille EM-taekwondossa|trans-title=Heino and Leetberg earned medals at the European Champs|language=fi|url=http://www.mtv.fi/sport/muut-lajit/uutiset/artikkeli/heino-ja-leetberg-mitaleille-em-taekwondossa/3632276|publisher=MTV Finland|date=10 September 2005|accessdate=10 January 2015}}

Heino qualified as a lone taekwondo fighter for the Finnish squad in the men's heavyweight class (+80 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by granting a berth and placing third from the European Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.{{cite web|title=Athens 2004: Taekwondo – Men's Entry List by NOC|url=http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2004/Results/Taekwondo.pdf|format=PDF|pages=2–4|work=Athens 2004|publisher=LA84 Foundation|accessdate=28 December 2014}}{{cite news|title=Heino toi taekwondon olympiapaikan|trans-title=Heino attained an Olympic place|language=fi|url=https://www.ts.fi/urheilu/1073948730|publisher=Turun Sanomat|date=23 February 2004|access-date=10 January 2015}} He rounded off a dismal display in a 5–8 defeat to Vietnam's Nguyen Van Hung in the opening match. With his Vietnamese opponent losing to Jordan's Ibrahim Kamal in the quarterfinals, Heino slipped his chances away to compete for an Olympic bronze medal in the repechage.{{cite web|title=Taekwondo – Men's Heavyweight (+80kg/+176lbs) Round of 16|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/martial_arts/results/3534268.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 August 2004|accessdate=24 September 2013}}{{cite news|first=Tapio|last=Neva|title=Heino tähtää tänään päähän|trans-title=Heino ends his run today|language=fi|url=http://www.ts.fi/olympialaiset/ateena/1073989407/Heino+tahtaa+tanaan+paahan|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150115135016/http://www.ts.fi/olympialaiset/ateena/1073989407/Heino+tahtaa+tanaan+paahan|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2015|publisher=Turun Sanomat|date=29 August 2004|accessdate=10 January 2015}}

In 2005, Heino improved his ill-fated Olympic feat to satisfy a silver in the final match 8–10 against French fighter and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Pascal Gentil at the European Championships in Riga, Latvia, adding his accolade to a set of two bronze medals obtained in 2000 and 2002. Heino sought a bid on his second attempt for the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, but failed to move beyond the opening round at the World and European Qualifying Tournaments.{{cite news|title=Teemu Heino tähtää olympialaisiin omalla taekwondo-salillaan|trans-title=Teemu Heino aimed for the Olympic Games in his own taekwondo club|language=fi|url=http://www.lansivayla.fi/artikkeli/72503-teemu-heino-tahtaa-olympialaisiin-omalla-taekwondo-salillaan|publisher=Länsiväylä|date=29 September 2011|accessdate=10 January 2015}}

Since his Olympic debut in 2004, Heino served as the member and chairman of the athletes' commission under the Finnish Olympic Committee for four years.{{cite news|title=Jaakko Pitkänen uusi mestaruutensa Iittala-hallissa|trans-title=Jaakko Pitkänen, a new titleholder in Iittala hall|language=fi|url=http://www.hameensanomat.fi/uutiset/urheilu/179225-jaakko-pitkanen-uusi-mestaruutensa-iittala-hallissa|publisher=Hämeen Sanomat|date=11 July 2005|accessdate=10 January 2015}}{{cite news|title=Team Finland: Teemu Heino – Athlete Brochure 2005|language=fi|url=http://www.tkd.fi/teemuheino/Teme_syys2005_clean.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=Finnish Taekwondo Federation|accessdate=10 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070115030726/http://www.tkd.fi/teemuheino/Teme_syys2005_clean.pdf|archive-date=15 January 2007|url-status=dead}}