Do you remember these flying phrases of Matti Nykänen?

Matti Nykänen is remembered as a legendary golden eagle, but also as a victim of his bad life. Many memorable utterances have come out of Nykänen’s mouth, which are still alive among Finns and have even been compiled into books.

Nykänen, known as a mountain eagle, achieved a total of four Olympic and five World Championship gold medals in his career. Numerous other medals and recognitions made Nykä one of the most successful top athletes in Finnish history.

In his hometown, Jyväskylä, there is a jumping hill named after him. After failing, the Finnish state financed the funeral of the sports legend, even though it was not officially a state funeral.

Matti Ensio Nykänen was blessed to rest in the grave in Jyväskylä on March 2, 2019.

“Lahti is a great place”

On July 17, the hill jumper from Jyväskylä would have celebrated his 59th birthday. He grew up in Jyväskylä, he had a lot of jumping history also from Lahti.

In the 1989 World Championships, the legend won the last World Cup medals of his career: gold on team hill and bronze on suurmäki. In addition, he collected no less than eight World Cup competition victories from Salpausela.

– Lahti is a really cool place, Nykänen commented on the city.

Nykänen experienced a wide range of emotions in Lahti, and not all emotional outbursts were the most restrained.

During the 1989 World Championships in Lahti, Matti Nykänen lived in Lahti’s Seruahuone. Due to the poor success of the show, Nykänen threw the hotel room TV out the window. On the same trip, he sat in the sink of his room, which fell apart in the same crash and became unusable.

However, there are successful jumps everywhere, and Nykänen described them as unique. In the TV interview, he even spoke in French.

– Every time I jump and get to the nose of that jumper, I get one Bon voyage vibes.

Bon Voyage is French and means good trip. Presumably, however, Nykänen searched his vocabulary for the expression Déjà-vu, which means the feeling that the experienced moment has already been experienced before.

“Life is life”

– There have been setbacks in life, sometimes even front setbacks, stated Matti Nylkänen at the time.

That’s what he really has had. Nykänen suffered from an alcohol problem, his numerous relationships with different women, and was convicted of several crimes, such as theft and several assaults, and even attempted murder.

On a few occasions, Nykänen was also sent to read brick heads, when he was sentenced to prison for, among other things, abusing his wife.

He comments on his multifaceted messes in the media with features characteristic of his character.

– If I’ve had a moped go out of control before, now it did, I’d say formula.

Attempts were made to keep the celebrations somewhat hidden from the public, but Nykänen himself made statements on the subject that surely caused gray hair for his long-term manager Antero Verto.

– When you have a party, you don’t drink from a teaspoon.

After his hill jumping career, Nykänen also made music. He was still gigging just a few days before his death in Helsinki.

His most famous songs were among others Maybe I took, maybe I didn’t, Every chance is an opportunity as well as the last recording Finlandsong called

“Life is a man’s best time”

Although hardships plagued the golden eagle’s life, he also had good moments. His love life, however, was multifaceted, including marriages and contentious divorces, as well as reunions.

However, Nykänen often seemed to think positively about the pitfalls of his relationships.

– The engagement ended, but the relationship continues.

My mind didn’t always stay as bright. Fluctuating relationships also took over.

– Meikäläinen is a marriage counselor these days. If it goes well, one of us will be there. It’s seventy seconds and it’s all fucked up.

Nykänen has been married six times, to five different women. He had the stormiest relationship Mervi Tapolan with whom he married twice. Nykän also has two children – The same and Evelina.

Tapola, who belonged to a wealthy entrepreneurial family from Tampere, died of stomach cancer just six months after Nykänen.

Matti Nykänen’s last spouse Pia Nykänen (née Talonpoika) lived with the golden eagle for the rest of his life. The couple lived together in Joutseno and got married in the summer of 2014.

– Apparently, this love has been made to last, Nykänen said In an interview with IS just weeks before his death.

“Tomorrow is always the future”

Matti Nykänen’s life ended unexpectedly on February 4, 2019. Nykänen had complained of feeling weak and was taking care of his household chores as usual at his home in Joutseno. However, the weakness had caused the man to have no appetite and be tired.

His wife Pia Nykänen witnessed her husband’s last words. Matti, who was not feeling well, was on his way to the washroom with a pile of laundry.

– You have to put these in the laundry.

Pia found her loved one lifeless on the bathroom floor. The golden eagle had taken its last flight.