Matti Sippala

Career

Sippala defeated javelin world record holder Matti Järvinen at the Finnish Olympic tryouts in 1932, throwing 70.02. At the Olympics in Los Angeles, however, Järvinen dominated, throwing beyond 70 m five times with a best throw of 72.71. Sippala, who had strained his back in training, At that year's European Championships in Turin he won another silver medal with 69.97 m, again behind Järvinen who broke his own world record.

In addition to the javelin, Sippala competed in combined events. He won silver in the decathlon at the 1930 Finnish championships, but never reached the international elite in that event. In the non-Olympic pentathlon, however, he won several national titles; at the 1931 Finnish championships he scored 4083 points and defeated Olympic decathlon champion Paavo Yrjölä in a close competition as both exceeded Martti Tolamo's unofficial world record of 4011.