Athlete Profiles – Annika Urvikko, Reeta Pietilä, Rosanna Ojala (FIN)

TOKYO (JPN), FIG Office, October 3, 2011: Not qualified for the Team competition in Tokyo, but participating with three talented individual WAG gymnasts, Finland is represented by Annika Urvikko, Reeta Pietilä, and Rosanna Ojala at these championships. Learn more about them!

Annika Urvikko

Annika Urvikko (born 17.11.1990 in Tampere) is a Finnish gymnast representing the Tampereen Voimistelijat. Annika began gymnastics in 1997. She rose to the junior national team in 2004 and to the A-national team a year later. Her coaches are Igor Cherepov and Riitta Harju-Villamo. Annika’s choreographer is Maiju Missokia. Annika has been the Finnish All-around champion five years in a row, from 2007 – 2011. She has qualified to World Cup finals eight times and made it to podium four times. At the Summer Universidad 2011, she was 6th on Vault and 17th in the All-around at the qualification competition, but was unable to compete in finals due to a minor injury.

Reeta Pietilä

Reeta Pietilä (born 12.4.1994 in Oulu) is a Finnish gymnast representing the Oulun Pyrintö. Reeta started tumble with the tots class at the age of two and a half and moved up to the competitive gymnastics class before she started school. Her coaches are Pauliina Savola and Sanna Ahonen. Reeta’s choreographer is Riina Vasala. Reeta has several Finnish Championship medals as well as medals from Nordic Championships and Northern European Championships. She made it to the World Cup Final on Beam in 2010. Reeta’s favorite event is Beam. She enjoys gymnastics because it is challenging and difficult. “Training, competing and new experiences are the best parts of gymnastics,” she says.

Rosanna Ojala

Rosanna Ojala (born 27.12.1994 in Tampere) is a Finnish gymnast representing the Tampereen Voimistelijat. She is 16 years old and she began gymnastics at the age of six. She was lively as a child and loved the climbing racks, which is what got her interested in gymnastics. Rosanna’s coaches are Igor Cherepov and Ira Zavjalova. Her choreographer is Maiju Missokia. Ojala won the Gold medal at the 2010 Northern European Championships in Bars. She is the 2011 Finnish champion on Beam and the holder of several national medals. Rosanna has been on the Finnish national team at the Europeans in 2010 and 2011 and Worlds in 2010. Learning to control one’s body and mind is what makes gymnastics fascinating for Rosanna.

(Source: Finnish Gymnastics Federation)