Jani Tanskanen elected as a member of the FIG Athletes’ Commission
LONDON (GBR): The male gymnastics community has elected the Finnish athlete Jani Tanskanen as a member of the FIG Athletes’ Commission. He’ll represent the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics within the Commission.
Tomorrow another election will designate the female athlete.
After his election, Jani Tanskanen declared he would to play an active role within the Commission, paying attention to the position of the athletes in any decisions by the FIG, in particular regarding the evolution of the Code of Points, the calendar, the prize money.
Portrait
Jani (34) is an easygoing social person, outgoing, hard working, well organized, with a good sense of humour. Soon to be Master of Sport Sciences (Major in Sport Administration and Planning, with other studies such as Sports marketing) at the University of Jyv?skyl?. He is working on a masters thesis and aiming to graduate at the end of 2009.
He started gymnastics in 1982 at the age of six. First national competition was one year later. First international meet: 1985 in Stockholm, Sweden. Member of Finnish junior national team 1987 – 1991. First international competition as senior in 1991. Member of senior national team 1991 – 2008.
Jani Tanskanen won the World Champion title on Horizontal Bar in 1997, in Lausanne (SUI). Today, he is the MAG Technical Director in the Finnish Gymnastics Federation.
For more than 25 years, he has been involved in this great sport as a gymnast. Now he still wants very much to stay active in gymnastics. He has gained good knowledge of this sport, lots of experience and has a broad social network among gymnasts around the world through his long international career. He hopes to be part of developing this beautiful sport even further in the future by giving his input this way.