Matti Nykänen is buried in Jyväskylä

The funeral service for the Finn, who died on February 3 at the age of 55, was attended by relatives and close friends on Saturday in his hometown of Jyväskylä. Among them were Nykänen's former competitor Jens Weißflog and his compatriot Janne Ahonen, five-time winner of the Four Hills Tournament. This is reported by local media.

Mourners also gathered in front of the cemetery, but the snow-white coffin was lowered into the grave in a very small circle. Nykänen's mother Vieno Nykänen, his sister Tuija Nykänen and his widow Pia Nykänen were at the grave. Nykänen received a state funeral, and Finland's Sports Minister Sampo Terho also attended the funeral service.

Nykänen is only the fifth Finnish athlete to receive a state funeral. This honor had previously been bestowed upon, among others, track and field athlete Paavo Nurmi, who won a total of nine Olympic gold medals between 1920 and 1928.

Matti Nykänen dominated his sport in the 1980s. He won three gold medals at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary alone and also triumphed on the large hill in Sarajevo in 1984. The biography of the six-time world champion and four-time overall World Cup winner took a tragic turn after his career ended. The exceptional athlete was convicted of repeated domestic violence and a knife attack on a friend, and his life was also characterized by excessive drinking, failed marriages and money problems.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Matti Nykänen is buried in Jyväskylä

Four-time Olympic ski jumping champion Matti Nykänen has been buried a month after his death.

Suggestions

Comments (0)