Sara Mustonen

Who was Sara Mustonen?

Sara Kristiina Mustonen was a Finnish alpine skier. She is the youngest skier ever to win the Finnish alpine ski championship with her gold medal in the women’s slalom in 1977 when she was only 14 years old.

Between 1975 and 1979 Mustonen won as many as 25 medals in Finnish alpine ski championships, 10 of which in women’s category. She won the slalom in 1977 and 1978, giant slalom in 1978 and 1979, and downhill in 1979. She represented the skiing club Ounasvaaran Hiihtoseura of her native Rovaniemi and was a member of the Finnish alpine ski team since 1976.

Sara Mustonen started her career as early as in April 1968 at the age of five landing second in the Lapland championships – in the category for girls under 10 years of age. In her next race a week later she finished first, the position she was to hold in her age group and beyond until her untimely death in September 1979. In 1973 she finished fourth at Italy's Trofeo Topolino. In March 1976 Mustonen won all three disciplines at the Nordic Junior Championships in Duved, Åre as well as earned her first national championship medals in women's category.