Legend – Juha Mieto Statue

The Legend sculpture by renowned Finnish sculptor Pekka Jylhä portrays the legendary cross-country skier Juha Mieto, a native of Kurikka and a multiple medalist in major international competitions.
Juha Mieto is remembered not only for his numerous Olympic and World Championship medals, but also for his dramatic loss by one hundredth of a second to Swedish skiing star Thomas Wassberg at the Lake Placid Olympics on February 17, 1980.
Another well-known story dates back to the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, where Mieto helped his competitor Bill Koch during the 50 km race. Koch was struggling on a long uphill section, and Mieto assisted him by pushing from behind until Koch regained his strength.
In 1985, Mieto received the prestigious CIFP (Comité International pour le Fair Play) Fair Play Award. The award recognized his sportsmanship, including his support for Koch and his gracious reaction to the narrow defeat in Lake Placid, where he was the first to congratulate Wassberg.
Juha Mieto is also remembered for the 1974 World Championships in Falun, where he competed in the 30 km race under his preferred wet snow conditions. Despite this advantage, he lost to Sweden’s Thomas Magnusson, who used modern fiberglass skis, while Mieto still raced with traditional wooden skis.