HELSINKI ? Mika Myllyla, a former Olympic cross-country champion and Finnish skiing great whose life unraveled after a doping ban, died Tuesday. He was 41.
Police declined to give details except to say no crime was involved. National broadcaster YLE said he was found dead in his apartment in the northwest town of Kokkola.
Myllyla won six Olympic medals, including gold in the classical 30-kilometer race at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. He won a silver in the 50-kilometer race in the 1994 Lillehammer Games, and shared four bronzes over both Olympics. He also won four world championships.
His career, however, all but ended when he tested positive for doping in the 2001 world championships and received a two-year ban together with five other Finnish skiers. Myllyla later returned to competitive racing but failed to qualify again for Finland?s team. He retired in 2005.
After the doping ban, his private life became turbulent, with reported alcohol abuse. He was convicted of drunken driving in 2008 and of three assaults in 2010.
In Finland, Myllyla was known for his unwavering stamina and unconventional training methods such as summer training on swamps.
Alexander Stubb, Finland?s minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, said on Twitter that Myllyla was ?one of our greatest cross-country skiers of all time.?
Myllyla is survived by three children and ex-wife Suvi, whom he divorced in 2007.
Source: http://www.rocketnews.com/2011/07/finnish-olympic-ski-champion-myllyla-dies-at-41-ap/
pizza hut hatsune miku maserati bohemian grove comedy central numerology hp touchpad
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.