Heikki Ilmari Savolainen (September 28, 1907 — November 29, 1997) was one of the most successful Finnish gymnasts and a two-time Olympic winner.

Savolainen's career as a top gymnast lasted for six Summer Olympics. At Amsterdam in 1928 he won bronze on pommel horse, the first-ever medal in gymnastics for Finland. Winning his last medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics

1952 Summer Olympics

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...

 in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, he was the oldest gymnastics medalist ever at 44 years old. In the opening ceremony of the same Olympics, he was the one to deliver the Olympic Oath

Olympic Oath

The Olympic Oath is a solemn promise made by one athlete -- as a representative of each of the participating Olympic competitors; and by one judge -- as a representative of each officiating Olympic referee or other official, at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games...

. Together with Harri Kirvesniemi

Harri Kirvesniemi

Harri Tapani Kirvesniemi is a Finnish former cross country skier who competed from 1980 to 2001. During his career he won six Olympic medals , and also the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 2000...

, Alexei Nemov

Alexei Nemov

Alexei Yurievich Nemov is a gymnast from Russia and one of the most medaled gymnasts, male or female, of all time. He has won 12 Olympic medals, including more Olympic bronze medals than any other athlete. Nemov's sense of showmanship and his difficult routines have won him many fans...

, and Franziska van Almsick

Franziska van Almsick

Franziska van Almsick is a German swimmer. She won her first Olympic medals in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games aged fourteen....

, Savolainen won a record-breaking six bronze medals.

In the 1932 horizontal bar event Savolainen and his teammate Einari Teräsvirta

Einari Teräsvirta

Einari Teräsvirta was a Finnish gymnast, Olympic Champion and well-known architect -Olympics:...

 had the same score, but the Finnish team decided to give the silver medal to Savolainen. In the 1948 pommel horse event Savolainen again had the same score as teammates Veikko Huhtanen

Veikko Huhtanen

Veikko Aarne Aleks Huhtanen was a Finnish gymnast and a three-time Olympic champion.Huhtanen was the most successful gymnast at the 1948 Summer Olympics by taking home five medals, of which three were golden...

 and Paavo Aaltonen

Paavo Aaltonen

Paavo Johannes Aaltonen was a Finnish gymnast and a three-time Olympic champion.Aaltonen was the second most successful gymnast at the 1948 Summer Olympics taking home four medals, of which three were gold. His fellow countryman, Veikko Huhtanen, managed five medals including three golds...

, and the gold medal was shared between the three.

Heikki Savolainen graduated as a physical education teacher in 1931, and a Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 in 1939, after which he started working as a doctor in his home town Kajaani

Kajaani

Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...

, Finland. During the Winter War

Winter War

The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...

 he served with the rank of Lieutenant colonel

Lieutenant colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

 as the head doctor in a military hospital.

Savolainen was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame

International Gymnastics Hall of Fame

The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics....

in 2004.