Mikko Latvala

Mikko Latvala
Personal information
Full name	Mikko Tapio Latvala
Nationality	Finland
Born	8 July 1980 (age 44); Vaasa, Finland
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Pole vault
Club	Haapajärven Kiilat (FIN)
Coached by	Toni Latvala
Achievements and titles
Personal best	Pole vault: 5.66 m (2001)

Mikko Tapio Latvala (born 8 July 1980 in Vaasa) is a Finnish pole vaulter.^[1] He won a silver medal for his category at the 2001 European Athletics Under-23 Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with his best possible height of 5.50 metres. In 2007, Latvala suffered from multiple serious injuries, including a torn chest muscle as a result of a weightlifting accident in South Africa.^[2]

Latvala qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, by successfully clearing a B-standard height of 5.63 metres from the Finnish Elite Games series in Lapua.^[2] He placed twenty-second in the first round of men's pole vault, with a best possible height of 5.45 metres, tying his overall position with Ukraine's Oleksandr Korchmid.^[3]

Latvala is also a full-time member of Haapajärven Kiilat, a local track and field club in Haapajärvi, and is coached and trained by his brother Toni.

References

^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mikko Latvala". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
^ ^a ^b Sonninen, Antti-Pekka (9 June 2008). "Latvala's 5.63m pole vault highlights Lapua Elite Games". IAAF. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
^ "Men's Pole Vault Qualification". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.