Athletics | Martti Vainio’s life took a terrible turn 40 years ago – one picture says it all

40 a year ago, on August 11, 1984, Martti Vainio took support from the armrests and stood up behind the long table.

On either side of him sat three men, all very silent. A couple of them had turned their eyes to Vainio, the others were content to stare at the table.

The men are the cream of the Finnish sports life, including the then Minister of the Environment and the sports director Matti Ahde.

Vainio’s nature was restless. The long-haired endurance runner crossed his arms behind his back, lowered his gaze and opened his mouth.

“Yeah…”, he began his speech.

The shock was great when Vainio said that “something fishy” had been found in his doping test the morning before. In the afternoon, the findings were confirmed as “hormones”.

Vainio was able to pull his hand from behind his back in front of his chest in a gust. A short but emotional reckoning began.

The gaze continued to wander here and there.

“I have been totally confused about this. I couldn’t sleep last night… And and..”, Vainio could say, until he started to find out what all the doping authorities had taken from him.

Los Angeles the press conference organized in connection with the Olympics is remembered as one of the darkest moments in Finnish sports history.

Vainio’s reputation went away from one standing, but also the Olympic silver in 10,000 meters that came three days earlier. He was not allowed to participate in the 5,000 meters.

The national hero fell with a thud. The photo, taken at the most dramatic moment possible, has remained indelibly in the minds of Finns.

Signs of anabolic steroids were found in Losi’s doping sample after the 10,000 meters, which Vainio later, almost iconically, explained to his neighbor and coach Alpo Nyrönen by injecting him with a vitamin b injection.

The explanation was not swallowed whole.

Those who laughed at the story had their doubts confirmed the same year, when the head of coaching of the Finnish Sports Association Antti Lanamäki revealed that Vainio had already collapsed after April’s Rotterdam marathon. About anabolic steroids, anyway.

Martti Vainio in 1984. Picture: Reijo Hietanen

Vainion the doping scandal caused an infernal media frenzy. Vainio disappeared from the public eye, later returned to the racetracks, until he withdrew from the spotlight again.

Vainio was banned for life from the events in Los Angeles. The application of the Finnish Sports Federation’s merits was shortened to 18 months.

Finally, in 2016, he told his own version of what happened.

“A terrible mistake happened! When I heard just before the start of the Olympic Games that I had given a positive test result after ten, my whole world collapsed. It somehow got out of hand,” he stated For sports news eight years ago.

Haapamäki steam locomotive park host Martti Vainio in 2016. Picture: Hannu Rainamo

He said he only used testosterone, or at least thought he did. According to his own words, he had “no relation whatsoever” to anabolic steroids.

Vainio said that he survived the months after the accident with the support of his then-wife and friends.

“It was a terrible time, especially the first months after the cart. I was really tough mentally by any possible measure. Somehow, however, we got over it with time,” he said to Urheilusanom.

Vainion the men’s 10,000 meters Finnish record of 27.30.99 is still in the name. This season’s domestic top score is Mika Kotiranta 29.25, 47.

Vainio, who won European Championship, European Championship and World Championship bronze in his career, is now 73 years old.