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Sakari Orava

b. 1945

Finnish sports medicine surgeon, physician and orthopedist

Surgeon Physician Boxer
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About Sakari Orava

Born 1945. Sakari Orava is a Finnish surgeon, physician, boxer and orthopedist.

Yrjö Sakari Orava (born 17 June 1945) is a Finnish sports medicine surgeon, physician, orthopedist, and professor. He retired in 2020.

He attended the medical school at the University of Oulu.

Orava has performed surgery on many other top athletes as well, including Emanuela Tessitore (old promise of the Italian athletic) Marco van Basten, Haile Gebrselassie, Merlene Ottey, Andrea Barzagli, Paul Pogba, Didier Deschamps, Fábio Coentrão, Pep Guardiola, and Ousmane Dembele. Spanish runner, Marta Domínguez, referred to Orava as ”como díos” – like a God.

Personal life

Orava lives in Naantali, Finland, and speaks Finnish, Swedish, English, German, Spanish and Italian. He has a wife, Aira, and two children, Markus and Hanna-Maria. Orava was the 54 kg Finnish boxing champion in 1962. During his time off he enjoys painting.

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Important facts

Born
17 June 1945, Kokkola
Birth century
20th century
Occupation
Surgeon, physician, boxer, orthopedist
Nationality
Finland
Education
University of Oulu, Hospital NEO
Awards
Professor; Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Also known as
Yrjö Sakari Orava

People in Sakari Orava's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Portrait of Personal
Personal
b. 1963
Computer scientist
 Portrait of Marta Domínguez
Marta Domínguez
b. 1975
Politician
 Portrait of Merlene Ottey
Merlene Ottey
b. 1960
Sprinter
 Portrait of Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba
b. 1993
Association football player
 Portrait of Andrea Barzagli
Andrea Barzagli
b. 1981
Association football player
 Portrait of Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
b. 1968
Association football player
 Portrait of Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
b. 1973
Marathon runner
 Portrait of Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten
b. 1964
Association football player

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sakari Orava's

Portrait of Albert W. Tucker
Albert W. Tucker
1905 – 1995
Mathematician
 Portrait of Arne Beurling
Arne Beurling
1905 – 1986
Mathematician
 Portrait of Felix Bloch
Felix Bloch
1905 – 1983
Physicist
 Portrait of Ulf von Euler
Ulf von Euler
1905 – 1983
Pharmacologist
 Portrait of Albert B. Sabin
Albert B. Sabin
1906 – 1993
Virologist
 Portrait of Hans Bethe
Hans Bethe
1906 – 2005
Physicist

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sakari Orava?

Finnish sports medicine surgeon, physician and orthopedist

When was Sakari Orava born?

Sakari Orava was born on 17 June 1945 in Kokkola.

What is Sakari Orava's occupation?

Sakari Orava is a surgeon, physician, boxer and orthopedist.

What nationality is Sakari Orava?

Sakari Orava is Finnish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sakari Orava

· Wikidata: Q7402832

· DBpedia: Sakari Orava

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sakari Orava. https://biography.guide/sakari-orava/

MLA: "Sakari Orava." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sakari-orava/.

Chicago: "Sakari Orava." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sakari-orava/.

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