The Man Who Knew Too Much

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 63rd birthday today (Monday) to an Olympic champion who had a short career, competed in only one Olympic Games, and was the first left-handed Olympic champion in a certain event.

Our birthday athlete was not the favorite going into the Olympic final, but this individual came through to win the Olympic gold medal.

A pretty famous person in the movie industry (see title) shares the same initials as our birthday champion.

Please name our birthday athlete for this last Monday of January.

[Olli]

Aha, it's AH. I believe the AH you mean threw the javelin something about 86.76, but what was his name again...

[DoubleRBar]

Olli, you couldn't be more correct without giving the name of this champion.

[Tuariki]

Alfred Hitchcock?

[Tuariki]

I don't know the name of the javelin thrower.

[lonewolf]

Anthony Hopkins? Aubrey Hepburn? Alexander Hamilton?

[Antti77]

And he was not the best-known jav thrower of his coach and father ...

[Olli]

It appears that guys named Antti and Olli want to give others a chance.

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, it does, however I have a feeling that at least one person out there knows the name of our birthday athlete on this day before February.

[Olli]

LopenUupunut without doubt, but I suppose you don't mean him.

[dukehjsteve]

Hell, I'll say it, it's ARTO HARKONEN, 1984 SPEAR CHUCKER

[noone]

I knew it wasn’t Archie Hahn

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday (63) today to Arto Harkonen. Nice going, dukehjsteve.

Arto Harkonen, as you probably know, won the javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He won the gold medal on the first Sunday of August in 1984 with his fourth round throw of 284' 8" (86.76).

Born in Finland, Harkonen studied theology, won Olympic gold, and became a pastor in Finland.

Of course Alfred Hitchcock directed the movie "The Trouble With Harry" (more comedy than suspense).

Thank you, dukehjsteve, Olli, Tuariki, lonewolf, Antti77, and noone.

[KDFINE]

Well its not the answer to the question but today is also Jeremy Wariner's birthday. Also, for you baseball fans, its the birthday of Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks and Nolan Ryan (as well as my son which is why I'm so tuned into January 31st).

[Olli]

The numbers 86.76 are stuck in my mind, because Härkönen threw the same distance twice in big games. In European Championships 1982 that gave him the fifth place behind two Soviets and two East Germans. In Los Angeles, in the absence of those nationalities, it was the winning throw.