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Petri Kokko (figure skater)

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Petri Kokko
Born (1966-02-21) 21 February 1966 (age 58)
Helsinki, Finland
Figure skating career
CountryFinland
PartnerSusanna Rahkamo
Virpi Kunnas
CoachMartin Skotnický
Skating clubHelsingfors Skridskoklubb
Retired1995
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing  Finland
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1995 Birmingham Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Chiba Ice dancing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Dortmund Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing

Petri Kokko (born 21 February 1966) is a Finnish former competitive ice dancer. He competed with Susanna Rahkamo, his wife. With Rahkamo, he is the 1995 European champion, 1995 World silver medalist, and competed in the Winter Olympics twice.[1]

Skating career

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Initially interested in hockey, Kokko began figure skating at age 14 to improve his skating skills.[2][3] His first partner was Virpi Kunnas.

Rahkamo/Kokko formed their partnership in 1985 and moved to Oberstdorf, Germany to train with Martin Skotnický.[3] Their first major international event was the 1986 European Championships, where they finished 18th. In 1990, they reached the top ten at the European and World Championships for the first time.

In the 1991–92 season, Rahkamo/Kokko won the silver medal at the 1991 Skate America and placed sixth at the 1992 Winter Olympics. In 1991, they portrayed the characters of Dagwood and Blondie in their free skating program; Kokko wore tails and Rahkamo wore a tutu and red skates. Robin Cousins, the commentator for NBC at the 1991 World Championships in Munich, called it a "comedy spoof not only of the ballet, but maybe some of their fellow competitors".[4] According to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, Rahkomo and Kokko's free dance parodied the conventions of romantic pursuit. Kestnbaum says about the program: "The sterotyped roles within the narrative of pursuit are thus revealed as constructs, not inherent and inevitable in the facts of maleness and femaleness".[4]

The following season, they won gold at the 1992 Skate Canada International and bronze at the 1993 European Championships. They were fourth at the 1993 World Championships.

In 1993–94, Rahkamo/Kokko stood atop the podium at Piruetten. They placed fourth at the 1994 European Championships and at the 1994 Winter Olympics. They ended their season with a bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships.

At the 1995 European Championships, Rahkamo/Kokko became Finland's first European champions in figure skating — their country's next European title came in 2009 when Laura Lepistö won the ladies' singles event.[5] They went on to win the silver medal at the 1995 World Championships. Their quickstep original dance from the 1994–95 season was adapted into a compulsory dance/pattern dance.[6][7] It was ratified in June 2008 as the Finnstep.[8][9]

Rahkamo/Kokko turned professional in 1995 and performed in ice shows until 2000.[2][10] They made an appearance on Enigma's music video for Beyond the Invisible.

Later life

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Rahkamo and Kokko married in 1995 and have two children, Max born in 2001 and Camilla in 2003.[2][11] Kokko has a master's degree from the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki.[10] He became the program manager at a sports television channel in 2001 and Nike Finland's managing director in 2003.[2] He was appointed country manager for Google Finland in 2006, worked as global director of Google Inc. at Googleplex in California for two years from November 2009, and then became a director in Germany.[7][12]

Programs

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(With Rahkamo)

Season Original set pattern
/ Original dance 		Free dance Exhibition
1994–95
  • The Psalm
    (12th century church music)
1993–94
  • Rhumba: Taboo

by Don Ralke

1992–93
1991–92
1990–91
  • Blues
1989–90
  • Samba

Results

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With Rahkamo

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International
Event 85–86 86–87 87–88 88–89 89–90 90–91 91–92 92–93 93–94 94–95
Olympics 6th 4th
Worlds 20th 20th 13th 6th 7th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd
Europeans 18th 18th 15th 12th 7th 8th 6th 3rd 4th 1st
Skate America 2nd
Skate Canada 1st
Int. de Paris 3rd
Golden Spin 6th
Moscow News 14th
Piruetten 1st
National
Finnish Champ. 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st

With Kunnas

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Event 1983–84 1984–85
Finnish Championships 1st 1st

References

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  1. ^ Olympic results
  2. ^ a b c d Krank, Arja (11 December 2009). "An easy-going boss near you". telma-lehti.fi. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014.
  3. ^ a b Saarikoski, Saska (5 January 2013). "Susanna Rahkamo ja Petri Kokko palasivat jäälle" [Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko returned to the ice]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish).
  4. ^ a b Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan Publishing Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
  5. ^ "Laura Lepistö wins European title in front of ecstatic home audience". Helsingin Sanomat. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Finnstep". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-28.
  7. ^ a b Elfman, Lois (23 January 2014). "Who framed the Finnstep? Rahkamo and Kokko". IceNetwork.
  8. ^ "Decisions made at 52nd ISU Ordinary Congress". International Skating Union. IceNetwork.com. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  9. ^ Rutherford, Lynn (5 May 2008). "ISU adds more creativity, new compulsory". IceNetwork.com. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  10. ^ a b Kajas, Mila; Salmi, Anna (19 October 2008). "What's new Susanna and Petri". Finnish Figure Skating Association. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008.
  11. ^ Elfman, Lois (18 September 2008). "Susanna Rahkamo is still an innovator". IceNetwork.
  12. ^ "Petri Kokko to take up post at Google headquarters". Helsingin Sanomat. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
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