Kaarlo Soinio


Kaarlo Kyösti Soinio was a Finnish sportsperson, who won an Olympic bronze, and a sport leader and a sportsreporter.

Sport

He was a pioneer in developing football, sportsreporting and municipal sport administration in Finland in the early 20th century. He also won an Olympic bronze in gymnastics.

Olympics

GamesSportEventRankNotes
1908 Summer OlympicsGymnasticsMen's team3rdSource:
1912 Summer OlympicsFootballMen's tournament4thWas team captain. Played only in a first round match against Italy where he was injured.

Footballer

DateVenueHomeResultVisitorCompetitionNotes
22 October 1911Eläintarha Stadium, Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire2–5FriendlyPlayed as captain. First international match of Finland.
27 June 1912Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden7–1Olympic preparationPlayed as captain
29 June 1912Tranebergs Idrottsplats, Stockholm, Sweden3–2 ET1912 Summer OlympicsPlayed as captain

He won the Finnish championship in 1911 and 1912 playing for Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi.

Other

He was an international referee in one football and one bandy match.
He sat in the board of the Football Association of Finland in various positions in 1910–1934. In their centennial history, Soinio is named the board's most distuinguished member. He is the association's honorary member.
He also flourished in javelin throwing and rowing.
He was the editor-in-chief of Suomen Urheilulehti in 1913–1917, and a sportsreporter in Helsingin Sanomat in 1918–1957.

Career

He graduated as a gymnastics teacher from the University of Helsinki in 1912, and worked in that profession in various schools.
He was the assistant police chief of Helsinki in the 1920s. At the time he remained friends with footballer and smuggler Algoth Niska.
He was the secretary of the Helsinki municipal sports board in 1919–1944. He was the head of the Helsinki folkpark department in 1932–1945. He was the head of the Helsinki sporting office in 1945–1955. He was in the venue committee of the Helsinki Summer Olympics. He was the manager of the Helsinki ice stadium up to his death in 1960.

Family

His parents were butcher Gustaf Aleksander Salin and Fredrika Ahlfors.
He finnicized his name from Karl Gustaf Salin to Kaarlo Kyösti Soinio in 1906.
Footballer Eino Soinio was his brother.
He dated a woman for 27 years until they broke up amicably.