Tuesday January 4th, 2000

Cross-country skier Mika Myllyla has been named Finland's athlete of 1999 by the Finnish union of sportswriters, polling well ahead of two-time world Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen.

Myllyla, who won three gold medals and a silver at the Nordic skiing world championships in Ramsau, Austria in February, took 321 first place votes, more than three times the 70 picked up by 1998 award winner Hakkinen.

Tommi Makinen, who won an unprecedented fourth world rally championship in a row in 1999, was third in voting with 41 first place votes.