Mika Tervala is a Finnish mountain bike orienteering competitor, World Champion and European Champion. He won individual gold medals at the 2002, 2006 and 2007 World Championships, and a gold medal in the relay in 2004, 2005 and 2006.[1] Mika coaches the Finnish national mountain bike orienteering teams since spring 2008.[2]

Mika Tervala

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Men's mountain bike orienteering
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2002 Fontainebleau Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2004 Ballarat Relay
Gold medal – first place 2005 Banská Bystrica Relay
Gold medal – first place 2006 Joensuu Long
Gold medal – first place 2006 Joensuu Relay
Gold medal – first place 2007 Nove Mesto na Morave Middle
Silver medal – second place 2004 Ballarat Long
Silver medal – second place 2006 Joensuu Middle
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Fontainebleau Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Banská Bystrica Middle
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2006 Warsaw Long
Gold medal – first place 2006 Warsaw Relay
Gold medal – first place 2007 Castelfiorentino Middle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Castelfiorentino Long
Silver medal – second place 2006 Warsaw Middle

Early sports career

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Tervala started his sports career with biathlon. He competed in biathlon until 1993, when he switched to ski orienteering.[3]

Mountain bike orienteering

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2002-2005

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After his ski orienteering period Tervala experienced several successful years in mountain bike orienteering. He competed at the very first World Championships, in Fontainebleau in 2002, where he won a gold medal in the sprint, placed ninth in the long distance, and earned a bronze medal in the relay with the Finnish team.[4] At the 2004 World Championships in Ballarat he placed sixth in the middle distance, won a silver medal in the long distance, and a gold medal in the relay together with Timo Sarkkinen and Jussi Mäkilä.[5] He won a bronze medal in the middle distance at the 2005 World Championships in Banská Bystrica, and the Finnish team won the gold medal in the relay with the same team as in 2004 (Tervala, Timo Sarkkinen, Jussi Mäkilä).[6]

2006-2008

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In 2006 the World Championships were held in Joensuu in Finland. Tervala won a silver medal in the middle distance, and gold medals in the long distance and in the relay (with Jussi Mäkilä and Tuomo Tompuri).[7] At the European Championships in Warsaw in August–September 2006, Tervala won gold medals in the long distance and in the relay, and a silver medal in the middle distance.[8] At the European Championships in Castelfiorentino 2007 Tervala won gold medals in both the long distance and the middle distance.[9] The 2007 World Championships were held in Nove Mesto in August. Tervala placed fifth in the sprint distance and won a gold medal in the middle distance, while the Finnish relay team placed fifth.[10] He also participated at the 2008 World Championships in Ostróda, where he placed sixth in the relay with the Finnish team.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  2. ^ "Skyttä ja Tervala pyöräsuunnistajien valmentajaksi" (in Finnish). Finnish Orienteering Federation. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  3. ^ Valjanen, Pirjo (October 2007). "Mika Tervala continues his quest for gold" (PDF). O-zine. International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  4. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2002". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  5. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2004". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  6. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2005". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  7. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2006". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  8. ^ "European MTB Orienteering Championships 2006". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
  9. ^ "European MTB Orienteering Championships 2007. Castelfiorentino, Tuscany, Italy, 4–10 June". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
  10. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2007". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  11. ^ "World MTB Orienteering Championships 2008". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 11 July 2018.