European Union | European Parliament | Member of the European Parliament | European Commission | The Championships, Wimbledon | European Space Agency | European | European Court of Human Rights | European Court of Justice | World Figure Skating Championships | European Economic Community | West Midlands (European Parliament constituency) | European People's Party | Indo-European languages | ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships | Party of European Socialists | IAAF World Championships in Athletics | European Convention on Human Rights | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development | 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships | Ice Hockey World Championships | figure skating | World Gliding Championships | Proto-Indo-European language | President of the European Parliament | 2007 World Championships in Athletics | Men's major golf championships | European route E65 | European Poker Tour | FIS Nordic World Ski Championships |
In his international debut year 1992 he became European Champion Allround and finished second in the World Allround Championships, after Roberto Sighel.
This match is the longest enduring annual organised race in speedskating apart from the World Speed Skating Championships and the European Speed Skating Championships.
In 1959, Salonen won bronze at the European Allround Championships behind gold medallist Knut Johannesen and fellow countryman Juhani Järvinen, who won silver.
His best season was 1958, when he won the overall silver medal in both the European Championships at Eskilstuna and in the World Championships at Helsinki, on both occasions trailing just behind Oleg Goncharenko.