Sportspeople from Joensuu

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen (pronunciation ) (born 27 April 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times. Since 2013 Vatanen has been the President of the Estonian Autosport Union.

Lauri Mononen (22 March 1950 – 5 August 2018) was a Finnish professional ice hockey winger. While playing for Phoenix Roadrunners in the World Hockey Association he was one of the first Finns to play professional hockey in North America. He played for a total of two seasons in WHA. He also won the Finnish Championship once and the Swiss Championship once. He was twice chosen as best forward in the Finnish League and selected to All Star five three times (1969, 1972, 1975). He also competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Mari Eder (née Mari Laukkanen, born 9 November 1987 in Eno, Finland) is a Finnish biathlete and cross-country skier.

Miro Aaltonen (born 7 June 1993) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for EHC Kloten of the National League (NL). Aaltonen was selected by Atlant Moscow Oblast in the 2nd round (45th overall) of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft, and he was also selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the 6th round (177th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Seppo Hannu Antero Repo (born September 21, 1947 in Joensuu, Finland) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga. He played for Jokerit, SaPKo, and TPS. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Kirsi Maaria Hänninen (born 3 October 1976 in Joensuu, Finland) is a retired Finnish ice hockey defenceman and pesäpallo player. She played 116 games with the Finnish national ice hockey team and won a bronze medal with them at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

Kari "Fund" Saukkonen (born 7 July 1955) is a retired Finnish professional darts player who competed in the 1980s. He competed in the 1986 BDO World Darts Championship and beat Willy Logie in round one but was defeated by Bob Anderson in the second round. He previously played in the 1980 Winmau World Masters, beating Len Heard in the Last 32, but who losing in the last 16 to Nicky Virachkul.

Heikki Ilmari Savolainen (28 September 1907 – 29 November 1997) was a Finnish artistic gymnast. He competed in five consecutive Olympics from 1928 to 1952 and won at least one medal in each of them. In 1928, he won a bronze on pommel horse, which was the first-ever medal in gymnastics for Finland. Winning his last medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, he became the oldest gymnastics medalist, at 44 years old; he delivered the Olympic Oath in the opening ceremony of the 1952 games. In 1932, Savolainen and his teammate Einari Teräsvirta had the same score on horizontal bar, but the Finnish team voted to give the silver medal to Savolainen. In 1948, he again had the same score as teammates Veikko Huhtanen and Paavo Aaltonen on pommel horse, and the gold medal was shared among the three.

Hannu Olavi Mikkola (24 May 1942 in Joensuu, Finland − 26 February 2021) was a Finnish world champion rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.

Nuutti Tykkyläinen (born 19 July 1999) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ykkönen club PK-35.