Toivo Aro


Toivo Nestori Aro was a Finnish diver who competed at the 1908 and the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Sports

Olympics

GamesEventStageRankNotes
1908 Summer Olympics10 metre platformRound one2nd in heatAdvanced to semi-final.
1908 Summer Olympics10 metre platformSemi-final3rd in heatDid not advance to final. According to the official histories of the Finnish Swimming Federation, Aro did qualify for the final, but due to confusion and a language barrier he sat it out as a spectator. The books offer as evidence a diploma presented exclusively to the finalists. Aro himself disputed this in an article he wrote, having no feelings of injustice and naming three other non-finalists who received the diploma.
1912 Summer Olympics10 metre platformRound one3rd in heatAdvanced to final
1912 Summer Olympics10 metre platformFinal8th
1912 Summer OlympicsPlain high divingRound one2nd in heatAdvanced to final
1912 Summer OlympicsPlain high divingFinal5th

Aro was the Chef de Mission of Finland at the 1928 Winter Olympics. He was the leader of Finland's swimming team at the 1924 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1924 he was also a judge.
He was a board member of Finnish Olympic Committee in 1919–1946 and its treasurer in 1929–1957.

National

Aro won ten Finnish national championship golds in aquatics:
He was a member of eight clubs, all Helsinki-based:
Aro was a board member of the International Ski Federation in 1926–1930.
He was the chairman of the Finnish Swimming Federation in 1928–1946 and its honorary chairman.
He was active in many other notable Finnish sport organizations in the 1920s and 1930s.

Other

Aro was born and died in Helsinki. His parents were Henrik Gustav Aro Ahlstedt and Mariaana Karoliina Forsell. They finnicized their family name from Ahlstedt to Aro on 12 May 1906.
He married dentist Katri Lille in 1916. They had six children:
  1. Toivo Ilmari, who acted in various positions in sport in Finland
  2. Uhmo Antamo
  3. Kauko Kalervo
  4. Sorri Uskali
  5. Heljä Iloisa Katri, who married Yrjö Heikki Soininvaara in 1948. Osmo Soininvaara is their son.
  6. Marja Terttu Tellervo
He was the chief executive officer of the bank Helsingin Suomalainen Säästöpankki in 1925–1957.
He was the editor-in-chief of Urheilulehti in 1917–1918. He wrote some works, such as a fifty-year history of Helsingin Suomalainen Säästöpankki, banking-related manuals, sport and temperance movement histories.
He was awarded the Knight of the White Rose of Finland. His wife received the Commemorative medal of the Winter War.