Eeles Landström

Eeles Enok Landström (born 3 January 1932) is a retired Finnish pole vaulter, a former member of the Finnish parliament and a former business executive. He won two European titles, in 1954 and 1958, and competed at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1960 and finishing seventh in 1956. Landström also placed 14th in the decathlon at the 1952 games and was selected as the Olympic flag bearer for Finland in 1956 and 1960.

Landström studied in the United States at the University of Michigan and graduated as Bachelor of Science in 1959. He was a two-time Big Ten champion in pole vaulting while at Michigan, in 1956 and 1959. In 1961 he became the first Finnish participant at the Olympic Academy arranged by the International Olympic Committee in Athens.

Landström was a member of the Finnish parliament in 1966–1971 and worked also in executive positions, for example as Assistant Director of Finance in the Finnish Broadcasting Company in 1976–1981 and as a member of the Administrative Council of the Finnish Broadcasting Company in 1967–1976. He was granted the Finnish honorary title of sosiaalineuvos in 2008.

Landström participated in the International Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as a board member of Finland’s group and as a representative of Finland in the European Broadcasting Union, nominated by the Finnish Broadcasting Company.

Landström has written two youth novels (1966, 1974) and a biography (2002). His first novel was awarded as the best Finnish youth novel in 1966.

Landström lived with his family in the United States from 1954 to 1959 and in Spain from 1982 to 2007.

Landström participated in 30 international competitions, winning 25 of them in a row. His best achievements were European gold medals in 1954 and 1958, the only medals Finland won in these competitions. He also won eight consecutive Finnish titles in 1953–1960 and improved the Finnish record 13 times in 1954–1958. He improved the European record three times in 1955–1956 and set an Australian record in 1956. In 1961, he won the Nordic Championship still using a steel pole; the following year 1962 began the era of fiber glass poles. Around that time Landström arranged fiber glass poles to be exported from the United States, and thus Finns were among the first in Europe to use the new equipment.

In 2008 Landström received the Finnish Pro Urheilu award for his athletic achievements.

A television documentary was made on Eeles Landström and his life in 1997, directed by Ville-Veikko Salminen. He was also the center figure in a play, which was written and directed by Jorma Kairimo. The premiere of the play ”Eeles – kohti päämäärää” (Eeles – towards the goal) took place in Akaa, Finland, in September 2008.