Career
He works both as the real-time play-by-play commentator and the sporstreader in Yle"s sports news Urheiluruutu. His career as a sportscaster started in 1977. Before that he had a short spell in entertainment staff in radio.
He has telecommunications mechanic"s education.
Hänninen is known as a multi-skilled sportscaster who can commentate on almost every sport. Nowadays he usually commentates only football, ski jumping and Nordic combined.
In the 1990s he also commentated very much on athletics, usually with Kari Hiltunen. Among others he commentated the Kimmo Kinnunen"s World Championship winning javelin throw in 1991 Tokyo, Sari Essayah"s World Championship winning 10 km walk in 1993 Stuttgart and Aki Parviainen"s World Championship winning javelin throw in 1999 Sevilla.
He has also commentated on every Olympic Games in television since 1984 Los Los Angeles
One of his main moments in Olympic games is the commentation of Matti Nykänen"s gold winning jump in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He has also been the main commentator of swimming in Yle for long time. He is the main football commentator in YLE together with Tapio Suominen.
Like many other sportcasters, Hoopi also strictly divides the people"s opinions.
Many people think that he is confident and decorous but he has also been the target for strong criticism because he sometimes does not seem to be very sharp and keen and does not notice what happens on the field, and also because sometimes he concentrates on things that are not the most important. His often put his soul into the events on ski jumping venue or football field passionately but same time does not forget the professional element.
He had also made a splash in his workplace Yle. There have been rumours that behind this are strong ambitions that taking root from 1995 Ice Hockey World Championships.