Matti Launonen

Matti Launonen (31 May 1944^[2][3] – 23 March 2019) was a Finnish para table tennis player who competed until his sudden death in 2019. He was one of the first table tennis players to win a world title in the para table tennis championships in Assen, Netherlands and a European title in Salou, Spain.^[4]

Matti Launonen

Matti Launonen in 1972 Summer Paralympics
Personal information
Born	31 May 1944 (1944-05-31) Kuopio, Finland[1]
Died	23 March 2019(2019-03-23) (aged 74) Atlantis, Florida, U.S.
Sport
Country	Finland
Sport	Para table tennis
Disability	Spinal cord injury
Disability class	C1
Medal record Para table tennis Representing  Finland Paralympic Games 1992 Barcelona Men's singles C1 1996 Atlanta Men's teams C1-2 1996 Atlanta Men's singles C1 2000 Sydney Men's singles C1 1992 Barcelona Men's teams C2 World Championships 1990 Assen Men's singles C1 1998 Paris Men's teams C1-2 1990 Assen Men's teams C3 1998 Paris Men's singles C1 2002 Taipei Men's singles C1 European Championships 1995 Hillerød Men's singles C1 1995 Hillerød Men's teams C2 1997 Stockholm Men's singles C1 1997 Stockholm Men's teams C1-2 1999 Piešťany Men's singles C1 2003 Zagreb Men's singles C1 2007 Kranjska Gora Men's singles C1 1991 Salou Men's singles C1 1991 Salou Men's teams C2 2001 Frankfurt Men's singles C1 2001 Frankfurt Men's teams C1-2

Launonen was seriously injured aged 18 in a car accident while travelling at more than 80 km/h, the car he was driving had handbrake fault and he couldn't stop the car: the car suddenly turned and rolled around.

He had a fall at his home and suffered a leg injury but died at hospital aged 74 in Florida.^[5]