Jouni Grönman

Jouni Johannes Grönman (born 17 May 1962), is a Finnish former weightlifter who competed at four Olympic Games won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Jouni Grönman
Personal information
Birth nameJouni Johannes Grönman
NationalityFinnish
Born (1962-05-17) 17 May 1962
Pori, Satakunta, Finland
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight60–75 kg (132–165 lb)
Sport
Country Finland
SportWeightlifting
Event(s)Lightweight
ClubPuntti-Karhut, Pori
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Finland
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place1984 Los Angeles-67.5 kg
European Championships
Silver medal – second place1984 Vitoria-Gasteiz-67.5 kg

Grönman was born and trained in Pori, on the west coast of Finland.

A lightweight, he was a 15-time Finnish champion and won five Nordic titles. He started competing internationally as a weightlifter 1983, with a fifth placing at the European Championships and was sixth at the World Championships. He won a silver medal at the 1984 European Championships, which was followed soon after by his first appearance in the Olympics.[1]

Olympic career

Due to the Soviet boycott, the top four placed lifters from the World Championships were absent for the 1984 Olympics, so Grönman came into the event as one of the favourites. He had the final lift of the competition and although he got bar to his shoulders was unable to get it over his head to better China's Yao Jingyuan.[2] Instead he won a bronze medal with an earlier 312.5 kg effort, the same total of the silver medalist Andrei Socaci, who got second place on account of his body weight being less than Grönman's.[3] It was only the second Olympics that Finland had won a weightlifting medal, he and heavyweight lifter Pekka Niemi's bronze medals were the first since Kaarlo Kangasniemi won gold in 1968.[4]

He represented Finland in a further three Olympics.[5] In 1988 he did not register a successful lift, but in 1992 he finished in fifth position overall.[6] His final appearance came in 1996 and he was the oldest competitor in the field at the age of 34.[7] He finished in 17th position.[8]

References
  1. "Jouni Gronman, Top Olympic Lifters of the 20th Century". chidlovski.net. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. "Surprising China Wins Fourth in a Row". Los Angeles Times. 2 August 1984. p. 140. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  3. "Medal Winners of the Summer Olympic Games". New York Times. 13 August 1984. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  4. "Finland Weightlifting - Olympics". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  5. "Jouni Grönman - Olympic Weightlifting - Finland". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  6. Maher, Adrian (29 July 1992). "Milotosian wins gold for Armenia". United Press International. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  7. "Weightlifting at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Men's Lightweight". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  8. "Weightlifting". Palm Beach Post. 24 July 1996. p. 45. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
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