Juha Väätäinen is a former Finnish long-distance runner. He won gold medal during European Athletic Championships Helsinki in both 10 000m and 5 000m races.
Juha Väätäinen presents the basics of the Finnish characteristics. Having a personality with relentless and unyielding habits - training like a maniac and being silent for the media Väätäinen made his own way for the double gold medalist in Helsinki European Athletic Championships 1971.
Väätäinen earned his nickname , 'Juha the Cruel' by training alone for a very long time periods in Sahara Desert, Africa. It is respectable, that doing the own method and believing in what you do can make the difference. It's said that Väätäinen's win and the finish on the final straight against East-Germany's Jurgen Haase in 10 000m Helsinki 1971 is one of the greatest struggles in long-distance running history ever.
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