The two are in the process of divorcing.

Since the end of his competitive days in the early 1990s, Nykanen has become notorious at home and abroad for his turbulent relationships, bar brawls and career ventures into the entertainment business.

In 2004, Nykanen received a 26-month jail sentence for aggravated assault following a stabbing incident at a cottage in Nokia, around 180 kms north of Helsinki.

Nykanen, 47, won four Olympic gold medals, three of them at the 1988 Calgary Games, and one silver.