Jani Haapamäki

Jani Haapamäki (born 15 May 1982 in Kauhajoki) is a Finnish wrestler (Greco-Roman).

Haapamäki has been wrestling since 1987.

In his junior years, he was coached by Hannu Vuorenmaa and Reijo Haaparanta.

In 2004 Haapamäki started internationally as a senior.

The bantamweight failed twice to qualify for the Olympic Games in Athens.

At the European Championships in Haparanda in the same year, he unexpectedly finished fifth.

In the following tournaments, however, he always occupied a place in the lower rankings.

It was not until 2008 that he was able to get back into the top ten at the European Championships in Tampere with 5th place.

However, he again failed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He won a gold medal at the 2009 European Wrestling Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 55 kg event.

Haapamäki represents the Kauhajoen Karhu (Eng. Kauhajoki Bears) sportsclub and is coached by wrestler Juha Virtanen.

At the 2009 European Wrestling Championships in Vilnius, he made it to the finals after defeating Bekchan Mankijew from Russia, where he defeated the Poles Mariusz Łoś on points.

In the following time he could no longer call this performance up to this extent.

He finished eighth at the 2009 World Cup in Herning, and seventh a year later in Moscow.

Haapamäki has been wrestling for the German Bundesliga club SV Germania Weingarten since 2010.

Before that he was for SV Siegfried Hallbergmoos.