Viivi Lehikoinen is a Finnish hurdling athlete, who competed in the women’s 400m hurdles event, which was her main event, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and at the 2022 World Championships. She is European U18 champion, European U20 Championships Bronze medallist, and four-time National champion. She holds the Finnish record in the 300m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
Viivi Lehikoinen was born on August 27, 1999. She started in athletics at an early age. After finding her talent she was coached by Mervi Lauren since 2012 and Jussi Ihamaki since 2014. She was one of the most talented athletes of Finland and one of the most perspective athletes in Europe.
Viivi Lehikoinen started her competitive athletics career already in 2012, winning the bronze at the Espoo Challenge in 800m and silver at a regional Helsinki Meeting in 200m.
In 2013, although quite young, Viivi Lehikoinen competed at the Espoo Youth U15 Athletics Games, winning the silver in 100m. She also won the gold at the Tampere Finnish U18 Indoor Championships in 800m and bronze in 300m. During the season, Viivi Lehikoinen debuted on the high-rated forum in 400m hurdles, competing at the Vaasa Finnish Championships, remaining 6th in the final.
In 2014, she won several gold medals at local events, including the Helsinki U18 Events in 400m and the Espoo U16 Events in 300m, and 100m.
Viivi Lehikoinen made a remarkable 2015 season, winning her most prestigious so far gold at the 13th European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi in 400m hurdles. She also dominated the local youth events winning the gold medals at the Kalajoki Finnish U17 Championships in 400m hurdles, 100m hurdles, and 100m, as well as the Stockholm Finnkampen U18 in 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles.
In 2016, Viivi Lehikoinen started the indoor season with gold medals at the Helsinki Finnish U18 Indoor Championships in 300m and 60m hurdles, as well as silver in 60m. She also competed at the Tampere Finnish Indoor Championships but remained out of the finals. During the outdoor season, however, Viivi Lehikoinen achieved more significant success, winning the gold at the Espoo Youth Athletics Games in 100m and 100m hurdles, as well as the gold at the Kajaani Finnish U18 Championships in 200m. In the 400m hurdles, however, she grabbed the gold at the Tbilisi European U18 Championships, as well as the silver at the Oulu Finnish Championships, Tampere Finnkampen, and Kuortane Games.
Viivi Lehikoinen won the bronze at the Grosseto European U20 Championships and finished fifth at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in 400m hurdles. She won the gold at the Kauhava Finnish U20 Championships in 200m and 400m, as well as the silver at the Turku Finnish U20 Indoor Championships in 200m and gold in 400m. She competed also at the Grosseto European U20 Championships in the 4x400m relay but remained only 7th in the Finnish women’s relay.
In 2018, Viivi Lehikoinen won her first national title, triumphing with the gold at the Jyvaskyla Finnish Championships in 400m hurdles. In the same event, she also competed at the Tampere IAAF World U20 Championships and Berlin European Athletics Championships but remained without honors. However, during the season she won the gold at the Kuortane Motonet GP and the bronze at the Tampere Finnkampen. At the Kuortane Finnish U20 Indoor Championships, she won the gold in 200m and the bronze in 60m.
In 2019, Viivi Lehikoinen finished second at the Lappeenranta Finnish Championships in 400m hurdles and also competed at the international Gavle European U23 Championships and Bydgoszcz European Athletics Team Championships, but remained without honor. She won the silver at the Motonet GP in Jyvaskyla.
Viivi Lehikoinen won her second 400m hurdles national title at the Turku Finnish Championships in 2020. During the season she won the gold at the Motonet GP in Jyvaskyla, Teemakisa in Tampere, and Liikkuu Games in Espoo. She won the bronze at the Finnish U23 Indoor Championships in 400m.
In 2021, Viivi Lehikoinen competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 400m hurdles but did not reach the final. In the same event, she won gold medals at the Vaasa Finnish Championships, Finnkampen in Stockholm, European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Motonet GP in Espoo, and Motonet GP in Jyvaskyla. She also finished 4th at the Tallinn European Athletics U23 Championships. At the Finnkampen in Stockholm, she also won the bronze in 400m.
In 2022, Viivi Lehikoinen debuted in the Diamond League at the BAUHAUS-Galan and competed at the Eugene World Athletics Championships and Munich European Athletics Championships in 400m hurdles, but remained without a medal. She won the gold at the prestigious meetings ATLETICAGENEVE – EAP, Kuortane Games, and Finnkampen in Helsinki, as well as the silver at the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Viivi Lehikoinen won the gold at the Finnkampen in Helsinki in 4x400m and silver in 400m. She won the silver at the Kuopio Finnish Indoor Championships in 400m.
Viivi Lehikoinen continues being one of the top European athletes in 400m hurdles in 2023, winning her first Diamond League medal – the silver at Athletissima in Lausanne. She also won her fourth national title at the Lahti Finnish Championships, as well as the gold at the Meeting Iberoamericano. During the season she won the silver at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, as well as the bronze at the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Viivi Lehikoinen also won the silver at the Finnish Indoor Championships in 4x200m relay and the gold in 400m, as well as the gold at the Motonet GP in Oulu in 4x400m relay. She competed at the Istanbul European Athletics Indoor Championships but remained out of the finals in the 400m.
Viivi Lehikoinen photos
