# Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi

Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (née Hämäläinen; born 10 September 1955) is a Finnish former cross-country skier.

## Career

She was the big figure at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, winning all three individual cross-country skiing events (5, 10 and 20 km), and a bronze medal for Finland in the relay. In the process, she became the most successful athlete at the 1984 Winter Olympics. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she won another relay bronze medal, and at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she won two more bronze medals in the 5 and 30 km.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Kirvesniemi won three golds in the 10 km (1989) and 4 × 5 km relay (1978, 1989), and five silvers in the 5 km (1985, 1991), 10 km (1985) and 15 km (1989, 1993). She also won the 20 km double pursuit at the 1989 Holmenkollen ski festival.
Kirvesniemi won the Holmenkollen medal in 1989. Her husband, Harri, would be awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1998. They were the third husband-and-wife pair that won this prestigious honor. They are the only married couple to have both competed at six Olympics, and are among the only eight Finns to have done so - the others being Janne Ahonen (ski jumping), Raimo Helminen (ice hockey), Teemu Selänne (ice hockey), Kyra Kyrklund (dressage), Juha Hirvi (shooting), and Hannu Manninen (nordic combined).

## Cross-country skiing results

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

### Olympic Games

* 7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
| Year | Age | 5 km | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 20 km | 30 km | 4 × 5 km  relay |
| 1976 | 20 | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 24 | 19 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| 1984 | 28 | Gold | Gold | — | — | Gold | — | Bronze |
| 1988 | 32 | 5 | 9 | — | — | 11 | — | Bronze |
| 1992 | 36 | 31 | — | 6 | DNS | — | — | 4 |
| 1994 | 38 | Bronze | — | — | 13 | — | Bronze | 4 |

### World Championships

* 8 medals – (3 gold, 5 silver)
| Year | Age | 5 km | 10 km  classical | 10 km  freestyle | 15 km | Pursuit | 20 km | 30 km | 4 × 5 km  relay |
| 1978 | 22 | — | 23 | — | — | — | 16 | — | Gold |
| 1982 | 26 | 17 | 11 | — | — | — | 17 | — | 4 |
| 1985 | 29 | Silver | Silver | — | — | — | 12 | — | 4 |
| 1989 | 33 | — | Gold | — | Silver | — | — | 8 | Gold |
| 1991 | 35 | Silver | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 1993 | 37 | 14 | — | — | Silver | — | — | — | 4 |

### World Cup
#### Season titles

* 2 titles – (2 overall)
| Season |
| Season | Discipline |
| 1983 | Overall |
| 1984 | Overall |

#### Season standings

| Season | Age | Overall |
| 1982 | 26 | 18 |
| 1983 | 27 | |
| 1984 | 28 | |
| 1985 | 29 | 10 |
| 1988 | 32 | |
| 1989 | 33 | 6 |
| 1991 | 35 | 17 |
| 1992 | 36 | 10 |
| 1993 | 37 | 8 |
| 1994 | 38 | 10 |

#### Individual podiums

* 11 victories
* 27 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 1982–83 | 12 December 1982 | Val di Sole, Italy | 5 km Individual | World Cup | 2nd |
| 2 | 1982–83 | 25 February 1983 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual | World Cup | 2nd |
| 3 | 1982–83 | 5 March 1983 | Lahti, Finland | 5 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 4 | 1982–83 | 12 March 1983 | Oslo, Norway | 20 km Individual | World Cup | 2nd |
| 5 | 1982–83 | 20 March 1983 | Anchorage, United States | 10 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 6 | 1982–83 | 27 March 1983 | Labrador City, Canada | 10 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 7 | 1983–84 | 17 December 1983 | Autrans, France | 10 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 8 | 1983–84 | 9 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 10 km Individual | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 9 | 1983–84 | 12 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 5 km Individual | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 10 | 1983–84 | 18 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 20 km Individual | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 11 | 1983–84 | 25 February 1984 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 12 | 1983–84 | 8 March 1984 | Oslo, Norway | 20 km Individual | World Cup | 2nd |
| 13 | 1984–85 | 19 February 1985 | Seefeld, Austria | 10 km Individual | World Championships | 2nd |
| 14 | 1984–85 | 21 February 1985 | Seefeld, Austria | 5 km Individual | World Championships | 2nd |
| 15 | 1987–88 | 19 December 1987 | Reit im Winkl, West Germany | 5 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 16 | 1987–88 | 17 March 1988 | Oslo, Norway | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 17 | 1988–89 | 17 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 10 km Individual C | World Championships | 1st |
| 18 | 1988–89 | 21 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 15 km Individual C | World Championships | 2nd |
| 19 | 1988–89 | 4 March 1989 | Oslo, Norway | 20 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 20 | 1990–91 | 12 February 1991 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 5 km Individual C | World Championships | 2nd |
| 21 | 1991–92 | 4 January 1992 | Kavgolovo, Russia | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 22 | 1991–92 | 7 March 1992 | Funäsdalen, Sweden | 5 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 23 | 1992–93 | 9 January 1993 | Ulrichen, Switzerland | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 24 | 1992–93 | 19 February 1993 | Falun, Sweden | 15 km Individual C | World Championships | 2nd |
| 25 | 1993–94 | 8 January 1994 | Kavgolovo, Russia | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 26 | 1993–94 | 15 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 5 km Individual C | Olympic Games | 3rd |
| 27 | 1993–94 | 24 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 30 km Individual C | Olympic Games | 3rd |

#### Team podiums

* 1 victory
* 8 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammates |
| 1 | 1983–84 | 15 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 4 × 5 km Relay | Olympic Games | 3rd | Määttä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen |
| 2 | 1983–84 | 26 February 1984 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay | World Cup | 2nd | Hyytiäinen / Määttä / Savolainen |
| 3 | 1984–85 | 10 March 1985 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay | World Cup | 3rd | Määttä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen |
| 4 | 1987–88 | 21 February 1988 | Calgary, Canada | 4 × 5 km Relay F | Olympic Games | 3rd | Määttä / Matikainen / Savolainen |
| 5 | 1987–88 | 13 March 1988 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Matikainen / Hyytiäinen / Määttä |
| 6 | 1988–89 | 23 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 1st | Määttä / Savolainen / Matikainen |
| 7 | 1990–91 | 10 March 1991 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Lukkarinen / Lahtinen / Savolainen |
| 8 | 1991–92 | 8 March 1992 | Funäsdalen, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Riikola / Lukkarinen / Savolainen |
| 9 | 1993–94 | 4 March 1994 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 5 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Lukkarinen / Pyykkönen / Lahtinen |
Note: $^1$ Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.