Kanervo was born in
Tornio in northern Finland and set national age group records from an early age, breaking the national under-11 record for boys' 150 metres in 2003 and the national indoor under-12 record for
60 metres the following year. He competed in both the 110 m hurdles and the 400 m hurdles at the
2009 World Youth Championships in
Brixen, Italy, but was eliminated in the early rounds in both events. Kanervo repeated as Finnish champion in the 110 m hurdles in 2013; he represented Finland in that event at the
European U23 Championships in
Tampere, but was eliminated in the heats. He took up the
400 m hurdles again in 2014, running 51.52 in his first race over the senior (91.4 cm) hurdles; the time broke
Ossi Mildh's HIFK club record from 1954 and was the fastest ever debut by a Finn. He won his third consecutive Finnish championship title in the 110 m hurdles that year, but his times in that event had stagnated and the 400 m hurdles became his main event; Kanervo broke 50 seconds in the 400 m hurdles for the first time on 11 April 2015 in
Greenville, North Carolina, running 49.78. He suffered from a persistent groin injury through the 2015 collegiate season, but stayed in good form; he qualified for his first
NCAA championship final, placing sixth in 50.20. At the
2015 European U23 Championships in
Tallinn Kanervo improved his personal best to 49.66, winning silver behind
Patryk Dobek of Poland; he was Finland's only medalist. ==References==