Career
Originally one of Finland"s leading wrestlers, Järvinen switched to athletics with that sport"s rising popularity in early 20th century Finland. Järvinen established national records in both discus throw and hammer throw, yet the latter would be the one throwing event in which he never competed at an Olympics. At his first Olympics in Athens 1906 (now no longer officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee), Järvinen was a solid medal candidate in multiple events.
In the javelin he finished fifth behind four Swedes, less than a meter behind silver medalist Knut Lindberg.
At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, Great Britain, Järvinen finished third in the Greek-style discus and fourth in the regular discus. Järvinen also competed in the shot and the javelin, but without any notable success.
Järvinen appeared at the Olympics for one more time in 1912, this time competing only in the discus. At age 42, he finished 15th in the regular discus and 12th in the both hands competition.
Kalle Järvinen broke the European record in shot put with a 1927 mark of 15.17 m, and competed in that event at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Los Angeles
Aki Järvinen was a two-time Olympic silver medalist and a world record holder in the decathlon, while Matti was even more successful in the javelin, winning the Olympic gold in 1932 and breaking the world record no less than ten times.