In 1974, Kukkoaho won the national 400 m title for a fourth and final time; his winning time that year was 45.8, which still remains the championship record. At that year's European Championships he again placed a close fourth in the individual 400 m, missing out on a medal by 0.06 seconds; in the relay, however, he got his first international medal. The Finnish team of Lönnqvist, Karttunen, Markku Taskinen and Kukkoaho ran 3:03.57 and placed a close third behind Great Britain and West Germany; Finland was briefly disqualified due to Kukkoaho shoving France's anchor Francis Demarthon, but after a successful Finnish protest the disqualification was overturned and the team regained its medals.