Joel Naukkarinen


Joel Kristian Naukkarinen is a competitive Finnish rower. Naukkarinen is a four-time world champion in indoor rowing, a ten-time World Championship medalist and a three-time European Championship medalist.
Naukkarinen holds 16 Finnish records and one standing world record. Naukkarinen has 152 Finnish Championship medals. Naukkarinen has won the Nordic Championships in 2015 and 2022.
In February 2022, Naukkarinen was awarded Rower of the Month by the World Rowing Federation.

Championship medals

Indoor rowing:
  • 2018, World Championships, silver medal, 2,000 m, Alexandria, USA
  • 2019, European Championships, bronze medal, 2,000 m, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 2019, European Championships, gold medal, 200 m, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 2020, European Championships, bronze medal, 500 m, Prague, Czech Republic
  • 2020, World Championships, silver medal, 500 m, Paris, France
  • 2021, World Championships, gold medal, men's team relay, virtual competition
  • 2021, World Championships, bronze medal, 500 m, virtual competition
  • 2021, World Championships, silver medal, one-hour rowing, virtual competition
  • 2021, World Championships, gold medal, mixed team relay, virtual competition
  • 2022, World Championships, gold medals, men's team relay, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2022, World Championships, gold medal, mixed team relay, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2022, World Championships, bronze medal, 2,000 m, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2023, European Championships, silver medal, 2,000 m, Paris, France
Beach Sprints:
  • 2022, World Finals, bronze medal, Saundersfoot, Wales

Indoor rowing

In 2015, Naukkarinen became the first men's open category rower to win the Finnish Championship title in all distances.
In total Naukkarinen has won 9 World Championship medals and 4 European Championship medals in indoor rowing.
Naukkarinen has broken the world records for 100 m, one minute and 100 kilometers. His 100 kilometer record of 6:06:06.1 is still standing, from when Naukkarinen rowed at the Kuopio Market Square at the opening of the Christmas season on 24 November 2018.
In January 2023, Naukkarinen earned the silver for the men's 2,000 m at the European World Indoor Championships in Paris, France with a time of 05:51.5.
In November 2022, Naukkarinen qualified and was invited to participate in the World Rowing Indoor Championships in Mississauga, Canada. He ranked first out of 10 men invited to the Versa Challenge to determine the most fit versatile rower in the world. On 26 March 2023, Naukkarinen earned the title of World Indoor Rowing Versa Champion after completing 4 indoor rowing events over 2 days.

Finnish records

Naukkarinen has several Finnish records in indoor rowing.
DistanceSeriesIT/500 mHolderDate
500mU231:14.81:14.8Joel Naukkarinen4 October 2014
500mOpen1:13.51:13.5Joel Naukkarinen26 January 2022
1,000mU232:44.11:22.0Joel Naukkarinen24 January 2015
1,000mOpen2:42.61:21.3Joel Naukkarinen28 January 2017
2,000mU235:54.01:28.5Joel Naukkarinen31 January 2015
2,000mOpen5:46.11:26.5Joel Naukkarinen26 February 2022
5,000mU1917:18,81:43.9Joel Naukkarinen19 March 2011
10,000mU2332:44.81:38.2Joel Naukkarinen15 March 2015
10,000mOpen32:08.51:36.4Joel Naukkarinen15 February 2022
21,097mU201:14:56.91:46.5Joel Naukkarinen21 April 2012
21,097mU231:14:56.91:46.5Joel Naukkarinen21 April 2012
21,097mOpen1:14:56.91:46.5Joel Naukkarinen21 April 2012
42,195mU232:26:00.51:43.8Joel Naukkarinen25 April 2015
42,195mOpen2:26:00.51:43.8Joel Naukkarinen25 April 2015
Team
4 × 1,000m Men
Open2:52.51:26.3Joel Naukkarinen
Antti Kilpeläinen
Martti Kirjola
Antti Kirjola
23 January 2016
Team
4 × 1,000m Open mixed team
Open3:09.91:35.0Joel Naukkarinen
Kasper Hirvilampi
Eeva Karppinen
Suvi Karppinen
3 February 2018

Beach Sprints

In the 2022 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, Naukkarinen won Finland's first medal at the championships.

Personal life

His cousins from maternal side are Finland national basketball team player Alexander Madsen and Finland national volleyball team players and.