His biggest successes were at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, where he won three medals, including two golds in the Team large hill event (1995, 1997) and a bronze in the Individual normal hill (1995).
In the 1995/96 World Cup season, Laitinen dominated the first part of the season and won five of the nine events, until he fell and injured himself during a practice jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
