Mika Myllylä

Mika Kristian Myllylä (12 September 1969 – 5 July 2011[1]) was a Finnish cross-country skier who competed from 1992 to 2005. He won six medals at the Winter Olympics, earning one gold (1998: 30 km), one silver (1994: 50 km), and four bronzes (1994: 30 km, 4 × 10 km; 1998: 10 km, 4 × 10 km).

Mika Myllylä
Mika Myllylä in 2001
Country Finland
Full nameMika Kristian Myllylä
Born(1969-09-12)12 September 1969
Haapajärvi, Finland
Died5 July 2011(2011-07-05) (aged 41)
Kokkola, Finland
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Ski clubJoutsan Pommi
World Cup career
Seasons12 – (1990–2001)
Individual wins10
Team wins6
Indiv. podiums25
Team podiums15
Indiv. starts94
Team starts22
Overall titles0 – (2nd in 1997)
Discipline titles1 – (1 LD)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Finland
International nordic ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 1 4
World Championships 4 3 2
Total 5 4 6
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1998 Nagano30 km classical
Silver medal – second place1994 Lillehammer50 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1994 Lillehammer30 km freestyle
Bronze medal – third place1994 Lillehammer4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place1998 Nagano10 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1998 Nagano4 × 10 km relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim50 km classical
Gold medal – first place1999 Ramsau10 km classical
Gold medal – first place1999 Ramsau30 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1999 Ramsau50 km classical
Silver medal – second place1997 Trondheim10 km + 15 km combined pursuit
Silver medal – second place1997 Trondheim4 × 10 km relay
Silver medal – second place1999 Ramsau10 km + 15 km combined pursuit
Bronze medal – third place1995 Thunder Bay10 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1997 Trondheim10 km classical
Disqualified2001 Lahti4 × 10 km relay

Myllylä also won a total of nine medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning four golds (1997: 50 km, 1999: 10 km, 30 km, 50 km), three silvers (10 km + 15 km combined pursuit: 1997, 1999; 4 × 10 km relay: 1997), and two bronzes (10 km: 1995, 1997).

He was on his way to become one of the greatest stars in cross-country skiing history, until he was caught doping in the Finnish 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships scandal for taking hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a blood plasma expander usually used to cover up the use of erythropoietin (EPO) in athletes. The scandal also affected five other Finnish skiers, including Jari Isometsä and Harri Kirvesniemi. Myllylä received a two-year suspension from the FIS as a result. In connection with a 2011 court case, Myllylä gave a sworn statement where he admitted using EPO in the 1990s, during his career.[2]

After the suspension Myllylä tried to return to skiing, but failed to come back to the international level despite winning a few Finnish championships. Myllylä retired from the skiing sports in 2005. In the following years he was involved in alcohol-related problems which were extensively covered in Finnish tabloid papers.[3] On 5 July 2011, Myllylä was found dead at his home in Kokkola. The official police investigation concluded that his death was the result of an accident, and ruled out the possibility of foul play and suicide.[4][5]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[6]

Olympic Games
  • 6 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   Pursuit   30 km   50 km   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
199222142034——
19942464BronzeSilverBronze
199828Bronze6Gold—Bronze

World Championships
  • 9 medals – (4 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   50 km   Sprint   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
19932317—1823——4
199525Bronze—44———
199727Bronze—Silver10Gold—Silver
199929Gold—SilverGoldGold—5
200131—DNSDNF———DSQ

Season titles
  • 1 title – (1 Long Distance)
Season
Discipline
1997 Long Distance 

Season standings
 Season   Age  Overall Long Distance Sprint
199020———
199121———
19922232——
19932334——
1994244——
1995258——
19962614——
1997272nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)7
19982872nd place, silver medalist(s)13
1999293rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)8
2000303929[a]26[a]—
20013133——
a. 1 29th in the Long Distance World Cup.
    2 26th in the Middle Distance World Cup.

Individual podiums
  • 10 victories
  • 25 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
11993–949 January 1994Russia Kavgalovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
215 January 1994Norway Oslo, Norway10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
314 February 1994Norway Lillehammer, Norway30 km Individual FOlympic Games[1]3rd
427 February 1994 50 km Individual  COlympic Games[1]2nd
512 March 1994Sweden Falun, Sweden30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
61994–9511 March 1995Canada Thunder Bay, Canada10 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]3rd
71995–9616 December 1995Italy Santa Caterina, Italy10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
813 January 1996Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
91996–977 December 1996 Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
104 January 1997Russia Kavgalovo, Russia30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
1119 January 1997Finland Lahti, Finland30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
1224 February 1997Norway Trondheim, Norway10 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]3rd
1325 February 199710 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Championships[1]2nd
142 March 199750 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
151997–983 January 1998Russia Kavgalovo, Russia30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
168 January 1998Austria Ramsau, Austria15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
171998–995 January 1999Estonia Otepää, Estonia15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
1814 February 1999Austria Seefeld, Austria10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
1919 February 1999Austria Ramsau, Austria30 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
2022 February 199910 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
2123 February 199910 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Championships[1]2nd
2228 February 199950 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
2313 March 1999Sweden Falun, Sweden30 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
241999–20002 February 2000Norway Trondheim, Norway10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
252000–0120 December 2000 Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st

Team podiums
  • 6 victories – (6 RL)
  • 15 podiums – (14 RL, 1 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1 1991–92 28 February 1992Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup3rdHartonen / Räsänen / Isometsä
2 1993–94 22 February 1994Norway Lillehammer, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FOlympic Games[1]3rdKirvesniemi / Räsänen / Isometsä
3 1994–95 18 December 1994Italy Sappada, Italy4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup2ndRepo / Hartonen / Isometsä
415 January 1995Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stHietamäki / Isometsä / Kirvesniemi
55 February 1995Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup2ndRäsänen / Hartonen / Isometsä
61995–9610 December 1995Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stHietamäki / Repo / Isometsä
714 January 1996Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stRepo / Kirvesniemi / Isometsä
83 February 1996Austria Seefeld, Austria12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdIsometsä
91996–9724 November 1996Sweden Kiruna, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stRepo / Kirvesniemi / Isometsä
108 December 1996Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stIsometsä / Repo / Kirvesniemi
1128 February 1997Norway Trondheim, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]2ndKirvesniemi / Räsänen / Isometsä
121997–986 March 1998Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stKirvesniemi / Repo / Isometsä
13 1998–99 14 March 1999Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndImmonen / Kirvesniemi / Repo
14 1999–00 19 December 1999Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndImmonen / Kirvesniemi / Isometsä
15 2000–01 26 November 2000Norway Beitostølen, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndImmonen / Kirvesniemi / Repo

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Overall record
Result Distance Races[a] Sprint Individual
Events		 Team Events All Events
≤ 10 km[b] ≤ 15 km[b] ≤ 30 km[b] ≥ 30 km[b] Pursuit Team Sprint Relay[c]
1st place4–42––10––10
2nd place–2212–7–18
3rd place332–––8–210
Podiums75832–25–328
Top 1012111644–47–350
Points23232366–81–485
Others1441––10––10
Starts24272776–91–495
a. 1 Classification is made according to FIS classification.
b. 1 2 3 4 Includes individual and mass start races.
c. 1 Incomplete due to lack of appropriate sources prior to 2001.

Note: Until 1999 World Championships and 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races are part of the World Cup. Hence results from those races are included in the World Cup overall record.

See also

References
  1. Dennis Hevesi (5 July 2011). "Mika Myllyla, Olympic Skier in Doping Scandal, Dies at 41". The New York Times.
  2. "Myllylä: Kerroin eposta Vähäsöyringille ja Leppävuorelle". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  3. "Poliisi epäilee Mika Myllylää naisten pahoinpitelystä". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. "Mika Myllylä on kuollut". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Sanoma News. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  5. "Myllylän kuolinsyyntutkinta valmis". YLE (in Finnish). 9 September 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  6. "MYLLYLAE Mika". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 16 January 2020.

Sources


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