Paavo Puurunen (born 28 August 1973 in Kuhmo, Kainuu) is a retired Finnish biathlete who competed at four Winter Olympics. Puurunen debuted on the World Cup scene in the 1995/96 season. His best overall placing is from 1997/98 season when he finished 13th. He won his lone world cup victory in Pokljuka in 2001, in the World Championship, on the 20 km. His second world cup medal bronze in a pursuit is also from world championship that happened in 2003 in Khanty-Mansiysk. At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, he took a fourth place in the mass-start competition his best Olympic result. In an ordinary world cup competition he has no better placing than 6th.