{{short description|Finnish cross-country skier (1902–1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = | image = Veli Saarinen.jpg | caption = Saarinen in the 1930s | birth_name = | fullname = | nationality = | birth_date = {{birth date|1902|9|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Martinsaari, Virolahti, Finland | death_date = {{death date and age|1969|10|12|1902|9|16|df=y}} | death_place = Helsinki, Finland | height = 173 cm | weight = 65 kg | country = | sport = Cross-country skiing | event = | pb = | club = Kouvolan Hiihtoseura<br> Lahden Hiihtoseura | retired = | olympics = | highestranking = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's cross-country skiing }} {{MedalCountry|{{FIN}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalGold|1932 Lake Placid|50 km}} {{MedalBronze|1932 Lake Placid|18 km}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}} {{MedalGold|1929 Zakopane| 17 km}} {{MedalGold|1933 Innsbruck| 50 km}} {{MedalGold|1934 Sollefteå| 4 × 10 km relay}} {{MedalSilver|1929 Zakopane| 50 km}} {{MedalSilver|1934 Sollefteå| 18 km}} {{MedalBronze|1926 Lahti| 30 km}} }} '''Veli Selim Saarinen''' (16 September 1902 – 12 October 1969) was a Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.
In 1928, he finished fourth in the 18 km event. In 1932, he won a gold in the 50 km and a bronze in the 18 km event, becoming the first Finnish cross-country skier to win an Olympic gold medal. Yet his biggest success came at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, where he won six medals between 1926 and 1934, including three gold medals.<ref name=sr/>
Domestically Saarinen won only two titles, over 50 km in 1930–31. In 1934, he retired from competitions and later coached the German (1934–1937) and Finnish (1937–1968) national cross-country skiing teams. From 1947 to 1968, he also served as a chief executive of the Finnish Skiing Federation.<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/veli-saarinen-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417054133/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/veli-saarinen-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Veli Saarinen}}</ref>
==Cross-country skiing results== All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).<ref name="FISprofile">{{cite web |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sector=CC&competitorid=52816&type=st-WC |title=SAARINEN Veli |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=FIS-Ski |publisher=International Ski Federation |access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref>
===Olympic Games=== * 2 medals – (1 gold, 1 bronze) {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"| Year ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 18 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 50 km |- | 1928 || ''25'' || 4 || — |- | 1932 || ''29'' || bgcolor="cc9966"| '''Bronze''' || style="background:gold;"| '''Gold''' |- |}
===World Championships=== * 6 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"| Year ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 17 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 18 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 30 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 50 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 4 × 10 km <br> relay |- | 1926 || ''23'' || {{n/a}}||{{n/a}} ||bgcolor="cc9966"|'''Bronze''' || 9||{{n/a}} |- | 1929 || ''26'' ||style="background:gold;"|'''Gold'''||{{n/a}} ||{{n/a}} ||style="background:silver;"|'''Silver''' || {{n/a}} |- | 1930 || ''27'' ||5||{{n/a}} ||{{n/a}} ||6 || {{n/a}} |- | 1933 || ''30'' ||{{n/a}}||4 ||{{n/a}} ||style="background:gold;"|'''Gold''' ||— |- | 1934 || ''31'' ||{{n/a}}||style="background:silver;"|'''Silver'''||{{n/a}} ||— ||style="background:gold;"|'''Gold''' |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Veli Saarinen}} * {{FIS cross-country skier|52816}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 50km Cross Country}} {{Footer World Champions XC 15km Men}} {{Footer World Champions XC 50km Men}} {{Footer World Champions XC Relay Men}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saarinen, Veli}} Category:1902 births Category:1969 deaths Category:People from Vyborg District Category:Sportspeople from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Category:Finnish male cross-country skiers Category:Olympic cross-country skiers for Finland Category:Cross-country skiers at the 1928 Winter Olympics Category:Cross-country skiers at the 1932 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for Finland Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Finland Category:Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing Category:FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing Category:Medalists at the 1932 Winter Olympics Category:People from Virolahti Category:Skiers from Kymenlaakso Category:20th-century Finnish sportsmen