Sara Mustonen (skier) (original) (raw)

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Finnish alpine skier

Sara Mustonen
Sara Mustonen in Cervinia, Italy, circa 1977
Full name Sara Kristiina Mustonen
Born (1962-12-23)23 December 1962
Died 12 September 1979(1979-09-12) (aged 16)
Ski club Ounasvaaran Hiihtoseura

Sara Kristiina Mustonen (23 December 1962, Rovaniemi, Finland – 12 September 1979, Hintertux, Austria) was a Finnish alpine skier. She is the youngest skier ever to win the Finnish alpine ski championship with her gold medal in the women's slalom in 1977 when she was only 14 years old.[1][2]

Between 1975 and 1979 Mustonen won as many as 25 medals in Finnish alpine ski championships, 10 of which in women's category. She won the slalom in 1977 and 1978, giant slalom in 1978 and 1979, and downhill in 1979.[1] She represented the skiing club Ounasvaaran Hiihtoseura of her native Rovaniemi and was a member of the Finnish alpine ski team since 1976.[3]

Sara Mustonen started her career as early as in April 1968 at the age of five landing second in the Lapland championships – in the category for girls under 10 years of age. In her next race a week later she finished first, the position she was to hold in her age group and beyond until her untimely death in September 1979.[1] In 1973 she finished fourth at Italy's Trofeo Topolino.[4] In March 1976 Mustonen won all three disciplines at the Nordic Junior Championships (Kalle Anka Trofén) in Duved, Åre[5] as well as earned her first national championship medals in women's category.

In 1978 Mustonen was the only woman participant to represent Finland in the Alpine World Skiing Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She finished 40th in downhill and 44th in giant slalom.[1][2] In slalom she dropped out in the second run.[6] She competed in the 1978 Swedish Alpine Championships in Dundret, Gällivare, finishing third in giant slalom and fourth in slalom.[7][8] Mustonen was voted by Finnish sports journalists as the best alpine skier in Finland in two consecutive years, 1977[9] and 1978.[10]

Sara Mustonen was killed in a skiing accident in Hintertux, Austria, after having fallen down into a crevasse during a joint training session on the glacier. At the time of the accident, she was under the auspices of the Finnish alpine ski team who were running a training camp at the location.[11][12]

  1. ^ a b c d Arponen, Antti O.; et al. (1986). Talviurheilun tähdet. Porvoo–Helsinki–Juva: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. p. 356. ISBN 951-0-13095-8.
  2. ^ a b Järvenpää, Minna (2004). "Suomen parhaat naislaskijat". Skimbaaja. 28 (7): 53–54.
  3. ^ "Valmennusryhmät". Hiihtäjä. 4 (8): 10. May 20, 1976.
  4. ^ "Sara sen teki – neljäs sija nuorten EM-kisoissa Italiassa". Lapin Kansa. March 7, 1973. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Lappilaismenestystä Duvedin rinteillä". Lapin Kansa. March 16, 1976. p. 13.
  6. ^ "Soelkner yllätti pujottelukerman". Helsingin Sanomat. February 4, 1978. p. 23.
  7. ^ Sportkalendern 1979. Stockholm: Benson. 1978. p. 116.
  8. ^ "Sara kolmas Dundretissa". Lapin Kansa. April 11, 1978. p. 13.
  9. ^ "Lajien parhaat". Suomen Urheilulehti. 80 (51–52): 19. December 21, 1977.
  10. ^ "Parhaat lajeittain". Suomen Urheilulehti. 81 (50): 8. December 13, 1978.
  11. ^ Siukonen, Markku & Ahola, Matti (1979). Urheilun vuosikirja 1978–1979. Jyväskylä: Oy Scandia Kirjat Ab. p. 102. ISBN 951-9466-17-7.
  12. ^ Raevuori, Antero, ed. (1980). Huippu-urheilun maailma. Osa 4: talviurheilu. Porvoo–Helsinki–Juva: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. p. 424. ISBN 951-0-08692-4.