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Olympic cross-country ski medallist scoops Sports Personality of the Year

For the second time in a row, cross-country skiier Iivo Niskanen has won Finland's Sports Personality of the Year award.

Iivo Niskanen Uno-pokaali kädessään.
Image: Tomi Hänninen
  • Yle News

Iivo Niskanen, 27, was awarded the Sports Personality of the Year at Thursday night’s Finnish Sports Gala 2019, an honour that he also nabbed in 2018.

The Olympic gold medalist is the first athlete in more than 30 years to win the same award twice.

Previously cross-country skiier Marjo Matikainen won the award in 1986 and 1987. The Sports Personality of the Year award has been handed out since 1947.

"It's unbelievable to be here for the second time in a row," Niskanen said in his acceptance speech.

This year Niskanen won the award, which is voted on by Finnish sports journalists, with 4,740 votes. In second place was biathlete Kaisa Mäkäräinen with 3,058 votes.

Niskanen won the gold medal in the men’s 50-kilometre cross-country race in the winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last year.