Max Kokko
Finland
| Sport | Speed Skating | |
| FederationID | SSFIN11709200101 | |
| NOC | Finland | |
| Born | 17 Sep 2001 | |
| Gender | Men |
| Residence | Vantaa, FIN | |
| Higher education | Industrial Engineering, Industrial Management - Aalto University: Espoo, FIN | |
| Occupation | Student | |
| Languages | English, Finnish, Swedish |
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
| Club / Team | Helsingin Luistinkiitajat: Helsinki, FIN |
General Interest
General Interest
| Injuries | He sustained neck and head injuries in 2019 and needed 10 months to recover. (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) | |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs | "I have a certain race music playlist I listen to before every single race and the last song on that playlist is always 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor." (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) | |
| Famous relatives | His parents Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko represented Finland in figure skating. They competed together in the mixed ice dance at the Olympic Winter Games in 1992 and 1994, placing sixth and fourth, respectively. His grandfather Kari Rahkamo represented Finland in athletics, competing in the triple jump at the Olympic Games in 1956 and 1960. (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023; SportsDeskOnline, 17 Nov 2023) |
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
| Reason for choosing this sport | "I played ice hockey and liked skating there. I saw speed skating on TV and wanted to try it." |
General Interest
General Interest
| Most influential person in career | His parents. "They are the backbone when I get very nervous before important races, they help me to calm down and focus on what is important." (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) | |
| Hero / Idol | His parents. (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) |
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
| Name of coach | Janne Hanninen [national, personal], FIN | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He took up the sport at age 13 in Helsinki, Finland. |
General Interest
General Interest
| Nicknames | Proffa ["short for professor, because I'm a really analytical person and like overanalysing pretty much anything"]. (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Life is long enough to do everything you want to do, but not long enough to waste on things you don't want to do." (Athlete, 17 Nov 2023) |