Laura Lepisto Finnish figure skater Date of Birth: 25.04.1988 Country: Finland

Biography of Laura Lepistö

Laura Lepistö is a Finnish figure skater who became the first representative of Finland to win the European Figure Skating Championships in the ladies' singles category. She achieved this feat in 2009, marking only the second gold medal for Finnish athletes in this competition. The first gold medal was won by the ice dancing pair Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko in 1995.

Early Life and Training
Laura was born and raised in Espoo, Finland, where she currently resides and trains. She began figure skating at the age of four and has been coached by Virpi Horttana, the same coach as another Finnish figure skater, Kiira Korpi.

Career Highlights
In 2008, Laura won the Finnish National Championships and also secured a bronze medal at the European Championships in Zagreb. Her debut at the World Championships in the same year resulted in an impressive eighth-place finish.

In December 2008, Laura finished second at the Finnish National Championships, with Kiira Korpi taking the top spot. However, she bounced back in January 2009 by winning the short program at the European Championships in Helsinki. Despite losing the free skate segment to Italian skater Carolina Kostner, Laura emerged as the overall winner based on the cumulative scores.

Laura's victory at the 2009 European Championships made her the first Finnish figure skater to claim the women's singles title in the competition's history. In a journalist poll conducted at the beginning of 2010, Laura was ranked second among the best Finnish athletes of 2009.

Continued Success and Interests
In January 2010, Laura finished third in both the short and free skate programs at the European Championships in Tallinn. However, her overall performance secured her the second-place position.

Alongside her figure skating career, Laura has a passion for music and snowboarding.

Family Connection
Laura's great-grandfather, Heimo Arvo Lepistö, who lived from 1908 to 1975, was a renowned Finnish actor and director.