Finnish Athletics Team Finland History of Finnish Athletics History of Finnish Javelin Throwing Competitions in Finland Finnkampen / Finland vs. Sweden Athletics Meeting Vattenfall Elite Games

HISTORY OF FINNISH ATHLETICS FLYING AND THROWING A review of Finnish track and field history from the 1906 to 2008 (Written and published in 1993, updated in 1996, 2005 and 2008) by Chris Turner. Photos provided by Finnish Athletics archives. Preface This review offers the reader a brief summary of Finnish athletics history, and in turn, a flavour of the singularly Finnish passion for everything to do with Athletics. This is the third edition of "Flying & Throwing" (first published in 1993) which was originally written as a special booklet for the British spectators of the Track & Field Tours group who attended the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Chris Turner, 2004 SIBELIUS, MANNERHEIM, KEKKONEN In the Finnish national consciousness, three figures loom large - Sibelius, Mannerheim and Kekkonen. Each of these men, Jean Sibelius through his music, Marshal Mannerheim for his military & political feats, and Urho Kekkonen for his national & international diplomacy, have inspired, founded and forged the Finnish state since its formal independence in 1917. Yet while this musical, military and political triumvirate certainly should take much of the credit for the consolidation and survival of democratic Finland in the shadow of its former master and giant neighbour, Russia, it would be too simplistic to conclude that this was the end of the story. There was, and remains, a fourth "estate" upon which the Finnish nation was originally founded and on which it is still based today, the population’s overwhelming passion for all types of sport, in particular cross country skiing in the winter and track & field athletics in the summer. At this point, it should be remembered that, quite appropriately, one of the "big three", Urho Kekkonen, as well as having been the most influential of all Finnish Presidents, was also an excellent athlete in his youth and was national high jump champion in 1924. Nothing throughout this century has so inspired or personified the Finnish character than its love for athletics, especially long distance running and javelin throwing. It would not be too great an exaggeration to say that the names of Sibelius, Mannerheim and Kekkonen, could in terms of the esteem in which they are held by most Finns, as easily be exchanged with the names of the sporting "gods", Kolehmainen, Nurmi & Järvinen, such is the importance of sport to the nation. It is hard for an Englishman, with national political, military, literary heroes in abundance, and with an English national identity generally settled and secure since the eleventh century AD, to conceive of the importance that athletics and in particular, Olympic competition, has for the Finnish people. In the words of Britain’s double Olympic 1500m champion Sebastian Coe - "Many western nations have their strong athletic traditions. France and Belgium have had their long distance men, Italy her sprinters, Great Britain her middle distance record breakers. All have their idols, their occasional and ecstatically received gold medals, and their frequent but vain attempts down the field. None, though, with all their human resources, has the sheer will to win that characterises Finland.” ”The Finns themselves ascribe it to something they call "SISU", some combination of pride and stubbornness and guts. To a Finn with more than his fair share of sisu, all concepts but winning seem to disappear, all temptation to compromise is resisted, and he becomes twice the competitor, twice the opponent" (note 1). Finnish athletes during the 20th century helped to define the pride and passion of what it is to be a Finn. The average Finn doesn't care that their neighbours and former colonial masters, Sweden and Russia are so much bigger, the demographic and geographic statistics cannot be changed, as on the Olympic roll of honour it is tiny Finland which has had the greatest triumphs. Track & Field is the most international of all sports. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has more member nations - 211 - than the United Nations. Yet despite the universality of the sport, Finland with a population of only five million, about the size of greater London, has won more men's track & field gold medals - 48 titles - than any other nation in the world with the exception of the USA. Yes, Finnish male athletes have won more Olympic athletics titles than the men of Britain, Germany, or even Russia. Athletics is a religion to the Finns. The Olympics and Finnish success within them is the embodiment of what it means to be a Finn, and it is not too extreme to say that the Finns really are the Olympics 'chosen people'. 1906 - THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESS Though the feat came "only" at the Athens Interim Olympic Games of 1906, the first Finn to strike Olympic gold was the muscular figure of Verner Järvinen in the Greek style Discus. Commonly known as "Father" Järvinen, Verner was both the founder of a long line of Finnish Olympic champions, and the father to a very talented family of four sons. Yrjo and Kalle were good athletes, the latter setting a Finnish shot put record in 1932 but it was the third & fourth sons, Akilles and Matti Järvinen who set the world alight with their ability in the decathlon & javelin respectively. Akilles was three times world decathlon record holder and twice Olympic silver medallist, while Matti was 1932 Olympic javelin champion and set a staggering total of ten world records in that event, earning the title of "Mr. Javelin". Even today, the vast majority of Olympic nations have a track & field record that is less impressive than that of the marvellous Järvinen family. Yet whilst Father Jarvinen was the first to strike gold, it is the performances of Hannes Kolehmainen which put Finnish sport truly on the world map. Kolehmainen's remarkable 5,000 & 10,000 metres double in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, the first time these two events had been included on the programme, set the pattern for a line of memorable Finnish victories. Yet as well as these two titles, Hannes also took the individual laurels in the Olympic cross country of 1912, and returned to the Olympic arena in 1920 to take the marathon title. NURMI In the wake of Kolehmainen's Stockholm successes, the youth of Finland was inspired to take up sport, and this spark of inspiration shone no brighter than in the figure of Paavo Nurmi, whose motivation had been Kolehmainen’s triumphs. Nurmi during his Olympic career, burnished his name indelibly into national and international sports history, and is indisputably one of the sporting greats of the twentieth century. Nurmi captured an outstanding twelve Olympic medals - nine golds and three silvers - in the Olympic Games of 1920, 1924 and 1928, and amassed a total of twenty two world records. Nurmi's Olympic medal tally has yet to be surpassed by any athlete and his world record total was only bettered at the end of the century by the efforts of the Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka. Such remains Nurmi's reputation, that more than 15 years after his death in 1973, and over 60 years since his last Olympic appearance, the IAAF voted Nurmi the greatest 5,000 metres and second greatest 10,000 metres runner of all time. The best of Nurmi's competition years was the season of 1924 and the Paris Olympics of that summer. In a ‘practice’ for that sporting festival, Nurmi, on the evening of 19 June 1924 at the Elaintärhä sports ground in Helsinki - which later became the warm-up for the 1952 Olympic stadium - with a gap of only 50 minutes between two races, set world records in the first and second, respectively the 1,500m and 5,000 metres. Yet if this were not enough, later in the year in the French capital he repeated the feat again, albeit not in world record times, by winning both the 1,500m & 5,000m Olympic crowns, on this occasion with 75 minutes between each final. Among other successes at the Paris Olympics, Nurmi also demolished the rest of the world's distance runners in the Olympic cross country race, which was run in excessive temperatures, that registered some thirty six degrees centigrade in the shade! Whilst most of the contestants either collapsed during the race or finished absolutely exhausted, Nurmi entered the stadium, almost one and half minutes in front of his closest rival & compatriot Ville Ritola. Furthermore, after crossing the finish line Nurmi even had the strength and audacity to jog into the infield and do a series of stretching exercises, as the remainder of the tired and depleted field staggered into the stadium! Due to the enormous furrow Nurmi cut across the face of athletics history, it is all too easy to forget Ville Ritola, five times Olympic champion and three times silver medallist. Ritola's steeplechase and 10,000 metres victories of 1924 were both won in world best/record times, and he alone of Nurmi's rivals can also be rightly called his peer. There is little doubt that Ritola, the forgotten champion, without the permanent shadow of Nurmi at his shoulder on the track and a top his own world marks in the record books, would today be revered as one of the all-time greats of track and field. 1920's & 30's - THE GLORIOUS DECADES Finnish success was not represented just by exceptional individuals. Prior to 1939, the whole team established a track & field supremacy only matched by the United States. In each of the Olympic celebrations between 1912 and 1936 Finland finished runners up to the USA in the athletics medals table (note 2). Of most note, in both the 1920 & 1932 Olympics the Finns took all three places in the javelin. In the 1928 Amsterdam Games, a clean sweep was attained in the 3,000 metres Steeplechase, and in the 1936 Olympics, the Finnish "juggernaut" of Salminen, Askola & Volmari Iso Hollo, swept aside all challengers to complete the medal podium in the 10,000 metres. The successes of Kolehmainen, Nurmi and Ritola, were copied by a host of other great Finnish athletes, in the 1920's & 30's. In the field, double Olympic javelin champion Jonni Myyrä was joined in Olympic success by Armas Taipale and Elmer Niklander in the Discus, Ville Pörholä in the Shot, Vilho Tuulos in the Triple Jump, Eero Lehtonen in the Pentathlon (in both 1920 & 1924), Paavo Yrjölä in the Decathlon and of course the great Matti Järvinen, whom we have already mentioned. The track and road was also alive with new Olympic champions, Albin Stenross in the 1924 Olympic Marathon, and Harri Larva and Toivo Loukola in the 1,500m and Steeplechase finals of the 1928 Games, respectively. Nothing could stop the Finnish onslaught, with Finnish victories by Volmari Iso Hollo (1932 & 36 Steeplechase), Lauri Lehtinen (1932 Los Angeles 5,000metres), Gunnar Höckert (1936 Berlin 5,000m) and Ilmari Salminen (1936 Berlin 10,000 metres), who also took the 1934 & 38 European 10,000 metres titles. World records also fell to Finland in abundance. As well as Akilles Järvinen's two in the Decathlon and the long string of successes for his brother Matti, there were a veritable shoal of records netted by athletes such as Eino Borg-Purje (1924 2000m) Bengt Sjöstedt (1931 110m hurdles), Eino Penttilä (1927 javelin), Yrjö Nikkanen (1938 Javelin x 2). Furthermore, on top of their Olympic successes, Lehtinen, Salminen and Höckert also capped their achievements with a string of world records from two miles to 10,000 metres. TAISTO MÄKI Yet no summary of pre-war running can be complete without the name of Taisto Mäki, who due to the onset of World-War-Two (WWII) in 1939, missed out on the opportunity to attain Olympic glory. Mäki, born in the small town of Rekola, was a shepherd by trade and had the nickname of the 'Rekola Herdboy'. In 1938, Mäki set a world 10,000 metres record and became the European 5,000 metres champion. However, the next season was to be completely his own, as on the 16th June 1939, Mäki set the first two (3 miles & 5,000m) of five world records he would run in that year. Yet none of these runs were finer than his 10,000 metres record of 17th September 1939, thanks to which, with a finishing time of 29:52.6, he became the first man to run under 30 minutes for this distance. Before the start of the race the stadium announcer, exuding his confidence in both Finnish running and Mäki's personal abilities, made the now famous remark that he hoped Taisto Mäki would "entertain the crowd for a little under half an hour"! Thus at the end of 1939 and the onset of the WWII, Finnish distance runners were without equal. There are few statistics which better illustrate Finnish running power in this pre-war period, than the 10,000 metres world all-time list at the end of 1939. Not only were the top five runners, Mäki, Salminen, Nurmi, Tuominen and Pekuri, all Finnish, but out of the top 10, only Poland’s Janusz Kusocinski, the 1932 Olympic 10,000 metres champion, was not Finnish born! (note 3). VIRÉN, A SECOND NURMI Over thirty years later, with the memory of such Finnish dominance fast fading, Finnish long distance runners again set the world alight with a new breed of Flying Finn, epitomised especially by Lasse Virén and his unsurpassed "Golden Double Double" in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the Munich & Montreal Olympics. Finnish fans had had a long wait for a new king to arrive but with Virén they found a man fit to carry the mantle of Nurmi. Most remarkable of all Viren's races, was his first Olympic final, the 10,000 metres at Munich. Virén, having fallen in the fourth kilometre of the race, managed quickly to get back on his feet and rejoin the leading pack of runners and went on to take the Olympic gold in a new world record! There have been few athletes in Olympic history who have shown the remarkable determination and total unwillingness to except defeat, as Virén did on that day in Munich. For Virén, the Olympics were everything, and despite world records at two miles and 5,000 metres outside the games, everything else was secondary. HELSINKI 1983 – INAUGURAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Courage or "sisu" similar to that shown by Virén in Munich was also displayed by a latter day heroine of Finnish track & field, Tiina Lillak. In 1983, Lillak in one of the most memorable moments of modern athletics history was crowned as the first ever women's World Javelin champion, after her nerve tingling last throw snatched the title from Britain's Fatima Whitbread and sent the home crowd wild. Yet a year later, in the Los Angeles Olympics, Lillak, twice a world record breaker, managed an even more remarkable feat by taking a very gallant silver, only 56 cm's from Tessa Sanderson's (G.B.) golden throw, whilst competing with a broken bone in her ankle! BISLETT 1946 Yet despite Finland's many exploits throughout this century on both the Olympic & World stage, two of the most notable occurrences in Finnish athletics history have taken place in the smaller, if no less intense arena of European Championship competition, during the games held in 1946 and those in 1971. The year of 1946, saw the third European Championships take place in Oslo, Norway’s now famous Bislett stadium. It was the first major games since the end of WWII and all of Finland was confident that their pre-war athletics dominance would continue. Their confidence seemed to be well founded. Finland was the land of distance running, the home of five Olympic champions in both the 5,000 & 10,000 metres. Only two Olympic titles had ever been lost by Finland in these events. Joseph Guillemot (Fra) had out sprinted the "rookey" Nurmi in the 5,000 metres in 1920, and in the 1932 Los Angeles 10,000 metres, Pole Kusocinski, had demolished the title ambitions of steeplechase specialist Volmari Iso Hollo. Furthermore, in 1946, the Finns, in Viljo Heino, the world record holder for 10,000 metres had a runner more than capable of continuing their great long distance running tradition. Heino was a supreme stylist, a most graceful runner who quickly acquired the nickname of the "Floating Finn". The Finnish public was not disappointed. Heino backed by his countryman Helge Perala, who took the silver medal, easily won the European 10,000 metres title on Bislett’s track. What's more, due to an organisational error, Finnish distance running was given the impression of invincibility. At the same moment that Heino’s race concluded, the marathon race - its final circuit in the stadium being run clockwise - also finished, with fellow Finns Mikko Hietanen (gold) and Vaino Muinonen (silver) adding to the celebration of Finnish distance running! Yet despite these apparently good omens, "the Big Night of Bislett" (note 4) was to be the swansong of the golden age of Finnish long distance running. Even though Heino set a short lived world 10,000 metres record in 1949, Emil Zatopek's arrival on the world scene, his gold and silver in the 1948 London Olympics, where Finnish athletes failed to take a single track medal, signalled the end to the Finnish hegemony. THE 1950's Yet while its true that in the 1950's Finnish runners were no longer invincible, neither were they merely 'also runs'. Marathon running was on a particular high. Led by Veikko Karvonen's Olympic bronze in 1956 and European Championship win in 1954, & silver in 1950, Finland was the world's strongest marathon nation. There were also six wins in the Boston Marathon in the 1950's and 60's. The 1956 national championship in particular, emphasised Finnish strength, as it was the fastest race of the year in the world, with the first four men breaking 2 hours 20 minutes. There was success on the track too. The 1952 Olympics brought Finland two much treasured fourth places, Hannu Posti in the 10,000 metres and Olavi Rinteenpää in the 3,000 metres Steeplechase. Most surprising of all, the gutsy figure of Voitto Hellsten brought Finland her first, and to date, only ever Olympic medal in the flat sprint events with a bronze at men's 400 metres in the 1956 Melbourne Games. There were also a cluster of European Championship medals on the track, with Rinteenpää and Erik Blomster taking the silver (1954) & bronze (1950) medals respectively in the Steeplechase, and Vaino Koskelä the bronze in the 1950 10,000 metres. ONLY A NATIONAL RECORD! Yet Finnish running history in the 1950's will always be associated with two world record breaking oddities. The first concerned the policy of the IAAF which until 1954, mainly due to the varying configuration and position of water jumps, considered the fastest performances in the 3,000 metres steeplechase to be world bests and NOT world records. In 1953, Olavi Rinteenpaa ran a 8:44.4 steeplechase, which while accepted ‘only’ as a world best (the last to be so) by the world governing body, by a quirk of fate was still ratified by the Finnish Association as a national record (note 5). So only a year later, the strange situation occurred that, with the IAAF's policy altered and another Finn, Pentti Karvonen setting two official world records of 8:47.8 and then 8:45.4, both of them slower than Rinteenpaa's world best time of a year before, for the first and presumably only time in athletics history, the Finnish national record was better than that of the world record! THE THREE OLAVI'S To this historical footnote must be added a second sporting oddity, the 1,500 metres world record run of ‘The Three Olavis’, Olavi Salsola, Olavi Salonen and Olavi Vuorsalo, who broke the world record of 3:40.6 on 11th July 1957, in Turku, Finland. Only Salsola and Salonen were actually credited with the new record of 3:40.2, with Vuorisalo's time being one hundredth of a second slower. Yet such glory was short lived, as the very next day Stanislav Jungwirth of Czechoslovakia smashed their record, bringing it down to a then amazing 3:38.1. Middle distance running had suddenly leapt into a new era, and what at the time had seemed such a glorious feat by the three Finns, was in fact the last gasp of glory for the nation's runners whose standards were falling quickly behind the rest of the world's elite. 1960'S - RUNNING DISASTER but FIELD SUCCESS During the 1960s Finland’s elite runners almost lost contact with the rest of the world. The contrast between the Finns and the rest was stark. When in 1965 Ron Clarke set a new 10,000m world record of 27:39.4, the Finnish record stood one minute and 41.6 seconds slower. Furthermore, in four Olympic Games - Melbourne, Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City - no Finn even reached a track final (except the 10,000 metres where there were no heats) let alone won a medal (note 6). Unlike Britain, where the harrier tradition has shaped athletics into the sport of TRACK & field, the sport of athletics to the Finns has always meant TRACK & FIELD. So in a climate of gloomy results on the track for Finland, the field events came to even greater prominence and runners were pushed to the side lines. Whereas runners were desperately trying to stay in contact with their opponents in the world, field eventers such as the 1962 world pole vault record breaker, Pentti Nikula, and 1964 Olympic javelin champion, Pauli Nevala were leading the international scene. Furthermore, there had been no similar reduction in overall Finnish standards in the field events, as had been experienced by their athletes on the tracks since the end of the war. During the 1940's & 1950's, Finnish javelin throwing continued its pre-war success. Tapio Rautavaara took the 1948 Olympic title, and Toivo Hyytiäinen won the 1950 European gold and 1956 Olympic bronze. There was even a short lived world javelin record in 1956 by the erratic Soini Nikkinen. Additional success also came to Finland via a string of pole vaulters led by the 1954 & 1956 European Champion, Eeles Landström. Finns were even long jumping well, Jorma Valkama taking the Olympic bronze in 1956 and Rainer Stenius, the European silver in 1962. Comparing themselves with their colleagues in the field events, Finnish distance runners had by the 1960's developed a major inferiority complex. Runners simply did not believe in themselves and kept on changing their training schedules with no conviction that they would ever attain international success. THE LYDIARD INFLUENCE In a desperate bid to alter the situation the Finnish Federation invited many of the world's greatest coaches to tour and lecture in Finland and in 1966 finally took the plunge and issued New Zealand’s great Arthur Lydiard (who sadly died in 2004), trainer to the legendary Peter Snell, with a short contract to coach in Finland. Lydiard's contribution to the Finnish running revival in the 1970's is still a hot topic for conversation in Finnish running circles, and his full contribution can never be accurately measured but what is beyond question is that runners started to stick to their training schedules, and what's more began to believe in themselves again. The athletes’ diet changed and warm weather training was introduced and financed by the federation to avoid the worst excesses of the northern winter. Yet more importantly, Finns were taught that it was no good just relying on their great tradition to magically produce exceptional athletes. To get to the top you had to train hard and long. The first stirrings of a revival took place in 1968, when Jouko Kuha stunned the world by setting a steeplechase world record. "Once again the Finns were doing what Kolehmainen and Nurmi had done before - setting themselves single mindedly at ambitious targets, prepared to work with every effort every week of the year, aiming to recapture what every Finn, athlete or not, considered his birthright - the reflected glory of Olympic gold"(note 7). 1971 - VÄÄTÄINEN, VÄÄTÄINEN, VÄÄTÄINEN! Yet it was not to be at the Olympics but rather at the European Championships in Helsinki's Olympic Stadium in 1971, 25 years after the triumphs of Bislett, that the renaissance in Finnish running was to begin in earnest with the double victories of the ex-sprinter Juha Väätäinen in the 5,000 & 10,000 metres. Double Olympic 1500m champion Sebastian Coe recalls as a youth watching the first of these victories, the 10,000 metres, and has never seen a stadium erupt in the way the Olympic Stadium did on that night in 1971. The crowd went wild as Väätäinen out-sprinted the defending champion Jurgen Haase (East Germany) on the final lap. The Finnish spectators threw their seat cushions into the air and spilled on to the track with delight, Finnish officials picking up Väätäinen and tossing him up and down in their arms, the night sky lit up noisily with firecrackers let off in celebration. After Väätäinen came Pekka Vasala, 1972 Olympic 1,500m champion; Lasse Virén, four times Olympic gold medallist in the 5000m & 10,000m in 1972 & 76; Tapio Kantanen, 1972 Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist and Montreal 4th placer; Pekka Päivärintä, 1973 World cross country champion; Nina Holmén, 1974 Women's European 3,000 metres champion; Martti Vainio, 1978 European 10,000 metres champion, and Kaarlo Maaninka, double Olympic medallist in the 1980 Olympics 5000 & 10,000 metres;...after two decades of gloom, Finland once more asserted it's old authority. Yet the 1980's were again a difficult decade for Finnish running particularly with the Olympic doping disqualification of Vainio in the 10,000 metres in 1984, Maaninka's blood exchanging confessions, and the failure to find significant rising stars to match the glories of the 1970s. THE GOLDEN JAVELIN YEARS Once again problems on the track were in many ways compensated for by the outstanding success of Finland's throwers, who experienced their best post war period in the javelin. Finland well and truly re-won its right to be called 'The Javelin Country' with a series of illustrious performances - 1983 women’s world title went to Tiina Lillak, and she also set world records in 1982 & 83; the 1984 & 88 Olympic golds were won by Arto Harkonen & Tapio Korjus respectively; unexpected gold came for Seppo Räty in the 1987 Worlds; the female European javelin title in 1990 was snatched by Päivi Alafrantti; Kimmo Kinnunen took victory in the 1991 World Championship Javelin, and the silver in 1993; Räty set two world records in 1991; Rantanen proceeded to the women's Olympic javelin title in Atlanta; most recently Aki Parviainen won the 1999 World javelin crown and followed up with the silver in 2001. If we are talking about ‘minor’ medals we should also highlight that Räty as well his 1987 World title amassed a treasure trove of major championship medals - 1988 Olympic bronze, 1991 World silver, 1992 Olympic silver, 1994 European silver, and 1996 Olympic bronze – to become one of the most medalled Finnish athletes of all-time. SUCCESS AT A SLOWER PACE National pride also came in the discipline of race walking. Reimo Salonen led the way by taking the 1982 European 50km Championship. More recently, Sari Essayah has blitzed the world's top women's 10km walkers, taking bronze in the 1991 World championships, 4th place in the Barcelona Olympics, gold in the 1993 World championships, and a much treasured European title in front of her home crowd in Helsinki's Olympic Stadium in 1994. Valentin Kononen's 1995 World championship 50km walk gold in Gothenburg was also much heralded back in Finland, coming as it did on the back of his silver in the 1993 World championships. Thus, with the exception of the Stuttgart European championships of 1986 and the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, Finland's walkers and throwers managed to give her a Midas touch at major championships from the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where Maaninka's bronze & silver medals were her only athletics medals, until 1997 when Eduard Hämäläinen’s silver was the Finnish team’s only mark on the World championships scoreboard. The world javelin title of Aki Parviainen in 1999, and the most unexpected Sydney 2000 Olympic shot put win of the fast spinning Arsi Harju were two more in-field fillips at the end of the century. Both men also substantiating their world class with world silver and bronze medals respectively at the 2001 World Championships. MARATHON SUCCESS ONCE MORE This line of throwing and race walking Olympic, World & European gold medallists has helped Finland to live with the fact that she has once again largely lost touch with the world's running elite. There have been a few notable exceptions. Spirits have been buoyed by a clutch of talented female marathoners in the last twenty years - Paivi Tikkanen the 1989 Berlin Marathon winner - who took a creditable 4th place in the 1991 World championship 3,000 metres; Tuija Toivonen, 2nd 1988 Boston, 3rd 1991 Berlin and 8th in the 1983 World Championships Marathon; Ritva Lemettinen, 1993 & 1995 Chicago winner, 3rd 1995 London, 4th 1994 Rotterdam, and 5th in the 1995 World Championships Marathon. Then there was the ‘golden child’ of the 1990’s, Annemari Sandell, who won the World junior cross country title and the senior European title in 1995, and took a bronze in the World Cross short course race in 1999. Most remarkable of all was the 2002 European Marathon championship victory of male marathoner Janne Holmén, who is the son of 1974 European women’s 3000m champion, Nina. A gutsy run by Holmén in extremely wet conditions in Munich brought Finland its first European Marathon title since Karvonen's 1954 victory. From the semi-autonomous Finnish Äland Islands, Holmén is married to the sister of Morocco’s 1992 Olympic 10,000m champion Khalid Skah, and is a practicing Muslim. A first even in the varied history Finnish athletics! The LILLAK and RANTANEN EFFECT Throughout this century, 'The Flying Finns' and Finnish athletics success in general, has with a few exceptions, been an all male affair. In fact, until Heli Rantanen's javelin victory in Atlanta, a female win in any Olympic track & field event had eluded Finland! Throughout the century, Finnish society has had a curiously conservative view of women's sport only matched by that of Great Britain. Both countries combined to put up very strong opposition in the 1920's against the further development of women's events in the Olympic Games. Despite the fact that in Finland, women's suffrage was achieved relatively early and her Parliament today holds a greater proportion of women members than any country in Europe, Finland throughout the century has remained a male dominated society. A negative national opinion about female sport has been difficult to dispel, and as such the development of women's sport has been slow. Prior to 1996, despite the considerable success of Finland's men at the Olympics, the best performances by her women had 'only' been silver medals by Kaisa Parviainen in London (1948) and Tiina Lillak in Los Angeles (1984). Next to these performances, Pirjo Häggman's 4th place in the 1976 400 metres, and Sari Essayah's 4th place in the 1992 Barcelona 10k walk had been the only other highlights. Outside the Olympic arena Finnish women have fared slightly better. In the European championships, both Nina Holmén (3,000m) and Riitta Salin (400m) struck gold in Rome in 1974. Salin's Rome win was also a world record, the first such success by a Finnish woman in any track & field discipline. However, Tiina Lillak's two javelin world records (1982 & 83) and world title in 1983, produced the defining moment in the development of Finnish women's sport. After the memorable scenes of jubilation which occurred in Helsinki's Olympic stadium, as Lillak's last throw of the competition captured World gold and she sprinted off on a victory lap, no one in Finland could fail to take female sports seriously. Lillak's performance in Helsinki, which gave Finland her only gold of the championship, marked the watershed in the development of women's athletics in the country. Considering the athletics success that Finnish men have had during the century, her female athletes remain a virtually untapped resource. Since 1983, Finnish women have been the mainstay of so much Finnish success. Päivi Alafrantti's European javelin win in 1990 and Sari Essayah's world title in 1993 and European gold of 1994, gained Finland's only gold medals of those major championships. Heli Rantanen's javelin victory in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was thus a crucially important moment for Finnish women's sport. In a country which so adores the Olympics and has no greater sporting passion than javelin throwing, Rantanen's victory provided the final seal of approval for women's sport. Finland at long last had a female Olympic track & field champion, and what's more it was in the javelin! Furthermore, not just in athletics but across all sports, it was Finland's only Olympic title in Atlanta, and so, that much sweeter a victory! THE ‘WORLDS’ COME HOME 2005 witnessed the IAAF World Championships return to their inaugural home in Helsinki. Wow, was the weather bad but despite the thunderstorms, the torrential rain of which led to the re-scheduling of the timetable on Tuesday 9 August, the level of performances were exceptional during the nine days of competition. All of Finland delighted in the emergence of a new world star, Tommi Evilä who had been threatening a new national long jump record all season, and duly provided one in the qualification round, and then produced a wind aided 8.25m to snatch the bronze medal in the final, Finland’s only medal of the championships. All in all the hosts with four other top-8 points scoring final placings at the championships could be satisfied with their performance, after all that was the intended target but oh it could have been so much better had not the extreme weather, some technical difficulties, and a bold Estonian thrower not upset Finnish medal hopes in the national event, the javelin throw. Tero Pitkämäki, eighth place finisher in the 2004 Olympic javelin throw final can be exceptionally proud of his fourth place in the 2005 Helsinki final. The 22-year-old entered the 2005 World Championships as the odds-on favourite for gold. On the 26 June he had become the sixth longest thrower of all-time with his 91.53m throw in Kuortane, and had reinforced his number-one position with a 90.54m release in Oslo, just days before the championships began. However, Finnish hopes for gold, another Lillak-type celebration 22-years-on from the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki, were destined to go unfulfilled, as rain and wind dashed the runway in the Olympic stadium on 10 August. Unable to control the angle of his spear to cope with the weather conditions, Pitkämäki had to settle for fourth place (81.27m), and instead gold went to Estonia’s Andrus Värnik. ‘What might have been’ in Helsinki was shown during the final meetings of the season. Pitkämäki took splendid victories in Zurich and Berlin, and then capped the year with another 91m victory when dominating the IAAF World Athletics Final in Monaco, with the second longest throw of his short career (91.33m). As the year closed Pitkämäki stood 1st in the IAAF World Ranking for the event. THE 21st CENTURY AND BEYOND Come triumph or disaster the Finnish public's interest in track and field remains as fervent as ever. Even when there are few home stars to cheer, the Finnish public never seems to lose its interest in the sport. During the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki on the night of 10 August, the final of the Javelin Throw, over one quarter of the Finnish population were viewing the competition on television. FIRST EVER IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS CITY Former IAAF President Dr. Primo Nebiolo, now deceased, who helped shape the modern sport of Athletics, was clear about Finland’s importance. As a guest at the famous annual Sweden versus Finland match in Helsinki in August 1992, he described Finland as the modern home of track & field. The country was ‘the temple of the sport and its high altar the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki’. It was a belief which was acknowledged by Nebiolo’s successor as IAAF President, Lamine Diack, on 14 August 2005, when Helsinki was named as the first ever “IAAF World Athletics City”, an award given in recognition of the extraordinary support that Helsinki had offered the World Championships but also for its contribution to world athletics ever since the 1952 Olympic Games. BACK TO GOLD, ON AND OFF THE TRACK If one bronze medal had been below the high expectations of the fervent Finnish fans in 2005 then few would have predicted the joy that occurred one year later at the European Championships in Gothenburg. On 11th August a lightning fast last lap brought Jukka Keskisalo from virtually the back of the pack to win the European 3000m Steeplechase title. Incredibly considering Finland’s illustrious record at Olympic level this was their first gold medal at this event at the continental championships. Two silver medals - Pitkämäki in the Javelin and Olli-Pekka Karjalainen in the Hammer throw – and a fourth pace by pole vaulter Matti Mononen, confirmed resurgence in national fortunes. The following summer in Osaka, Pitkämäki became the fourth Finnish spearman to set foot on the top rung of the World Championship medal podium, a success which he celebrated with a 90.33m throw in the last round. And while Pitkämäki could only manage a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he led home Finland’s best javelin squad result at an Olympic Games since 1936, with Tero Järvenpää (4th) and Teemu Wirkkala (5th) taking the next places in the final behind the World champion. Chris Turner (1993 / 2008) FINNISH MEDALLISTS FINNISH MEDALLISTS since 1906 at the OLYMPIC GAMES, WORLD AND EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, and WORLD RECORD HOLDERS (Olympic distances/events only): Abbreviations: Oly - Olympics; Wch - World Championships; Euro - European Championships; WR - World record; (G) - Gold; (S) - Silver; (B) - Bronze. ALAFRANTTI, Paivi, 1990 Euro Javelin (G). ANDERSEN, Ove: 1928 Oly Steeplechase (B). ASKOLA, Arvo: 1936 Oly 10,000m (S); 1934 Euro 10,000m(S). BACK, Rolf: 1954 Euro 4x400m relay (B). BARLUND, Sulo: 1936 Oly Shot (S). BERG, Ero: 1924 Oly 10,000m (S). BLOMSTER, Erik: 1950 Euro Steeplechase (B). BRYGGARE, Arto: 1984 Oly 110mhurs (B); 1983 Wch 110mhurs (S); 1986 Euro 110m hurs (S); 1978 & 1982 Euro 110mhurs (B). EKLUND, Marika (see LINDHOLM). ESKOLA, Jalmari: 1912 Oly X-Country Team (S). ESKOLA, Pentti: 1962 Euro Long Jump (B). ESSAYAH, Sari: 1991 Wch 10k walk (B); 1993 Wch 10k walk (G); 1994 Euro 10k walk (G). EVILÄ, Tommi: 2005 Wch Long Jump (B). GRAEFFE, Ragnar: 1954 Euro 4x400m relay (B) HALVARI, Mika: 1995 Wch Shot (S). HARJU, Arsi: 2000 Oly Shot (G); 2001 Wch Shot (B). HARKONEN, Arto: 1984 Oly Javelin (G). HARKONEN, Jorma: 1982 Euro 800m (B). HEINO, Viljo: 1946 Euro 10,000m (G); 1944 WR 10,000m; 1949 WR 10,000m. HELENIUS, Pirkko: 1974 Euro Long Jump (B). HELLSTEN,Voitto: 1956 Oly 400m (B); 1954 Euro 400m (S); 1954 4x400m(B). HIETANEN, Mikko: 1946 Euro Marathon (G). HOLMAN(nee WARN), Nina: 1974 Euro 3,000m (G). 1973 Wch xc team (S); 1974 Wch xc ind (S) & team (3). HYYTIAINEN, Toivo: 1952 Oly Javelin (B); 1950 Euro Javelin (G). HAGGMAN(nee WILMI), Pirjo: 1974 Euro 4 x400m (S). HAMALAINEN, Eduard (ex BLS): 1997 Wch Decathlon (S); 1998 Euro Dec (S). HOCKERT, Gunnar: 1936 Oly 5,000m (G). HOLMEN, Janne: 2002 Euro Marathon (G). INGBERG, Mikaela: 1995 Wch Javelin (B); 1998 Euro Javelin (B); 2004 Euro Javelin (B). ISO-HOLLO, Volmari: 1932 Oly Steeplechase (G), 10,000m (S); 1936 Oly Steeplechase (G), 10,000m (B). JOHANSSON (JAALE), Paavo: 1920 Oly Javelin (B). JARVINEN, Akilles: 1928 Oly Decathlon (S); 1932 Oly Decathlon (S); 1934 Euro 400m hurs (S); 1930 WR Decathlon. JARVINEN, Matti: ALL JAVELIN - 1932 Oly (G); 1934 Euro (G); 1938 Euro (G); 1930 WR x three; 1932 WR; 1933 WR x three; 1934 WR; 1936 WR. JARVINEN, Verner: 1906 Oly Greek style Discus (G); 1908 Oly Greek Style Discus (B). KAHMA, Pentti: 1974 Euro Discus (G). KALIMA, Lauri: 1938 Euro High Jump (B). KALLIOMAKI, Antti: 1976 Oly Pole Vault (S); 1978 Euro Pole Vault (S). KANTANEN, Tapio: 1972 Oly Steeplechase (B). KARJALAINEN, Olli-Pekka: 2006 Euro Hammer (S). KARVONEN, Pentti: 1955 Two WR's Steeplechase. KARVONEN, Veikko: 1956 Oly Marathon (B); 1950 Euro Marathon (S); 1954 Euro Marathon (G). KATAJA, Erkki: 1948 Oly Pole Vault (S). KATZ, Elias: 1924 Oly Steeplechase (S); 1924 Oly 3,000m team (G). KESKISALO, Jukka: 2006 Euro Steeplechase (G). KINNUNEN, Jorma: 1968 Oly Javelin (S); 1969 WR Javelin . KINNUNEN, Kimmo: 1991 Wch Javelin (G); 1993 Wch Javelin (S). KIVI, Antero: 1928 Oly Discus (S). KOIVULA, Heli: 2002 Euro Triple Jump (s) KOLEHMAINEN, Hannes: 1912 Oly 5,000m (G) & WR; 1912 Oly 10,000m (G); 1912 Oly XC ind (G) & team (S); 1920 Oly Marathon (G). KONONEN, Valentin: 1993 Wch 50k walk (S); 1995 Wch 50k walk (G); 1998 Euro 50k walk (S). KORJUS, Tapio: 1988 Oly Javelin (G). KOSKELA, Vaino: 1950 Euro 10,000m (B). KOSKENNIEMI, Teodor: 1920 Oly XC team (G). KOTKAS. Kalevi: 1934 Euro High Jump (G); 1938 Euro High Jump (S). KUHA, Jouko: 1968 WR Steeplechase. KUNTSI, Risto: 1934 Euro Shot (S). LAHTINEN, Hugo: 1929 Oly Pentathlon (B). LANDSTROM, Eeles: 1960 Oly Pole Vault (B); 1954 Euro Pole Vault (G); 1958 Euro Pole Vault (G). LARVA, Harri: 1928 Oly 1,500m (G). LASSENIUS, Torbjorn: 1954 Euro Decathlon (S). LEHTILA, Yrjo: 1946 Euro Shot (B). LEHTINEN, Lauri: 1932 Oly 5,000m (G); 1936 Oly 5,000m (S); 1932 WR 5,000m. Also WR at 3miles. LEHTONEN, Eero: 1920 Oly Pentathlon (G); 1924 Oly Pentathlon (G). LIIMATAINEN, Heikki: 1920 Oly XC ind (B) & team (G); 1924 Oly team (G). LILLAK, Tiina: 1983 Wch Javelin (G); 1984 Oly Javelin (S); 1982 WR Javelin & 1983 WR Javelin. LINDBLAD, Alf: 1938 Euro Steeplechase (B). LINDHOLM (nee EKLUND), Marika: 1974 Euro 4x400m (S). LINDROTH, John: 1934 Euro Pole Vault (B). LOUKOLA, Toivo: 1928 Oly Steeplechase (G). MAANINKA, Kaarlo: 1980 Oly 5,000m (B); 1980 Oly 10,000m (S). MARTTELIN, Matti: 1928 Oly Marathon (B). Also WR 25,000m MILDH, Sven-Osvald: 1954 Euro 4x400m (B). MUINONEN, Vaino: 1938 Euro Marathon (G); 1946 Euro Marathon (S). MYYRA, Jonni: 1920 Oly Javelin (G); 1924 Oly Javelin (G); 1919 WR Javelin. MAKI, Taisto: 1938 Euro 5,000m (G); 1939 WR 5,000m;1938 WR 10,000m;1939 WR 10,000m. NEVALA, Pauli: 1964 Oly Javelin (G); 1969 Euro Javelin (S). NICKLEN, Nils: 1946 Euro High Jump (B). NIITTYMAA, Vilho: 1924 Oly Discus (S). NIKKANEN, Yrjo: ALL JAVELIN -1936 Oly (S); 1936 Euro (S); 1946 Euro (S). 1938 Two WRs. NIKKINEN, Soini: 1954 Euro Javelin (B); 1956 WR javelin. NIKLANDER, Elmer: 1912 Oly Shot(both hands) (B); 1912 Discus (both hands) (S); 1920 Oly Shot (S); 1920 Discus (G). Also WR Discus both hands. NIKULA, Pentti: 1962 Euro Pole Vault (G); 1962 WR Pole Vault. NOREN, Jouko: 1938 Euro Triple Jump (S). NURMI, Paavo: OLYMPICS-1920 5,000m (S), 10,000m(G), XC ind (G) & team (G); 1924 1,500m (G), 5,000m (G), XC ind (G) & team (G), 3,000m team (G); 1928 5,000m (S), 10,000m (G) Steeplchase (S). WORLD RECORDS - 1,500m 1924, Mile 1923, 5,000m 1922 & 1924, 10,000m 1921 & 1924. NYQVIST, Veikko: 1946 Euro Discus (B). NYSTROM, Kauko: 1962 Euro Pole Vault (B). OLENIUS, Valto: 1950 Euro Pole Vault (S). PARTANEN, Olavi: 1950 Euro Discus (B). PARVIAINEN, Kaisa: 1948 Oly Javelin (S). PARVIAINEN, Aki: 1999 Wch Javelin (G); 2001 Wch Javelin (S). PEKURI, Kauko: 1938 Euro 5,000m (B). PELTONEN, Urho: 1920 Oly Javelin (S); 1912 Oly Javelin Both hands (B). PENTTILA, Eino: 1932 Oly Javelin (B); 1927 WR Javelin. PERALA, Helge: 1946 Euro 10,000m (S). PERASALO, Veikko: 1934 Euro High Jump (B). PIIRONEN, Jukka: 1950 Euro Pole Vault (B). PITKÄMÄKI, Tero: 2006 Euro Javelin (S), 2007 Wch javelin (G), 2008 Oly Javelin (B). PUDAS, Rauli: 1978 Euro Pole Vault (B). PURJE, Eino: 1928 Oly 1,500m (B); Also WR 2,000m. PURSIAINEN (nee STRANDVALL), Mona Lisa: 1974 Euro 200m (S); 1974 Euro 4x400 (S). PAIVARINTA, Pekka: 1973 Wch XC ind (G). Also WR 25,000m. PORHOLA, Ville: 1920 Oly Shot (G); 1932 Oly Hammer (S); 1934 Euro Hammer (G). RAJASAARI, Onni: 1938 Euro Triple Jump (G); 1934 Euro Triple Jump (B); RANTANEN, Heli: 1996 Oly Javelin (G). RATY, Seppo: 1987 Wch Javelin (G); 1988 Oly Javelin (B); 1991 Wch Javelin (S); 1992 Oly Javelin (S); 1994 Euro Javelin (S); 1996 Oly Javelin (B). 1991 Two WR's Javelin. RAUTAVAARA, Tapio: 1948 Oly Javelin (G); 1946 Euro Javelin (B). RAUTIO, Valle: 1946 Euro Triple Jump (G); 1950 Euro Triple Jump (S). RINTEENPAA, Olavi: 1954 Euro Steeplechase (S). RITOLA, Ville: OLYMPICS - 1924 5,000m (S), 10,000m (G), Steeplechase (G), XC ind (S) & team (G), 3,000m team (G). 1928 5,000m (G), 10,000m (S). 1924 Two WR's 10,000m. SAARISTO, Julius: 1912 Oly Javelin (S); 1912 Oly Javelin both hands (G). SALIN, Riitta: 1974 Euro 400m (G) & WR; 1974 Euro 4x400m (S). SALMINEN, Ilmari: 1936 Oly 10,000m (G); 1934 Euro 10,000m (G); 1934 Euro 5,000m (B); 1938 Euro 10,000m (G). 1937 WR 10,000m. SALONEN, Olavi: 1957 WR 1,500m. SALONEN, Reimo: 1982 Euro 50k walk (G). SALSOLA, Olavi: 1957 WR 1,500m. SANDELL, Annemari: 1995 Euro XC (G), 1996 Euro XC (B), 1998 Euro XC (S). SIIKANIEMI, Vaino: 1912 Oly Javelin both hands (S). SIITONEN, Hannu: 1974 Euro Javelin (G); 1976 Oly Javelin (S). SIPPALA, Matti: 1932 Oly Javelin (S). SJOSTEDT, Bengt: 1931 WR 110m hurs. STENIUS, Rainer: 1962 Euro Long Jump (S). STENROSS, Albin: 1912 Oly 10,000m (B), 1912 XC team (S); 1924 Oly Marathon (G). STORSKRUBB, Bertel: 1946 Euro 400m hurs (G). SUVIVUO, Vaino: 1946 Euro 110m hurs (B). TAIPALE, Armas: 1912 Oly Discus (G); 1912 Oly Discus Both hands (G); 1920 Oly Discus (S). TASKINEN, Markku: 1974 Euro 800m (B). TIAINEN, Juha: 1984 Oly Hammer (G). TOIVONEN, Armas: 1932 Oly Marathon (3); 1934 Euro Marathon (G). TOIVONEN, Kalervo: 1936 Oly Javelin (B). TOUKONEN, Ismo: 1978 Euro Steeplechase (B). TOUKKO, Markku: 1978 Euro Discus (S). TUOMINEN, Kaarlo: 1936 Oly Steeplechase (S). TUULOS, Vilho: 1920 Oly Triple Jump (G); 1924 Oly Triple Jump (B); 1928 Oly Triple Jump (B). VAATAINEN, Juha: 1971 Euro 5,000m (G); 1971 Euro 10,000m (G). VAHALA, Reijo: 1969 Euro High Jump (S). VAINIO, Martti: 1983 Wch 10,000m (B); 1978 Euro 10,000m (G); 1982 Euro 10,000m (B); 1984 Oly 10,000m (S) disq. VALKAMA, Jorma: 1956 Oly Long Jump (B). VASALA, Pekka: 1972 Oly 1,500m (G). WILEN, Erik: 1924 Oly 400m hurs (S). WILMI (see HAGGMAN), Pirjo. VIREN, Lasse: 1972 Oly 5,000m (G); 1972 Oly 10,000m (G) & WR; 1976 Oly 5,000m (G); 1976 Oly 10,000m (G); 1972 WR 5,000m. VIRTANEN, Lauri: 1932 Oly 5,000m (B); 1932 Oly 10,000m (B). YRJOLA, Paavo: 1928 Oly Decathlon (G) & WR; 1926 WR Decathlon; 1927 WR Decathlon. OSTERDAHL, Maire: 1950 Euro Long Jump (B). Reference notes and bibliography Notes: (1) The Olympians, see bib; p50. (2) Guinness Track & Field The Records, see bib, p144. (3) Track Stats, Vol 33 No1 1995. Pub: NUTS. (4) Flying Finns, see bib, p64. (5) Progression of World Records, see bib, p145. (6) Finnish Running Secrets, see bib, pp25,26 & 28. (7) The Olympians, see bib; p45. (8) "First four minutes" Bannister, Roger. Pub: Putnam 1955; Bibliography: Athletics in Finland; Jukola, Matti. Pub: Werner Soderstrom Osakeyhtio 1932. Finnish Running Secrets; Hannus, Matti. Pub: World Publications 1973. Flying Finns; Hannus, Matti. Pub: Tietosanoma Oy 1990. Great Moments in Athletics; Webster, F.A.M. Pub: Country Life 1947. Kaikkien Aikojen Yleisurheilutilastot; Jalava, Juhani & Mirko. Pub: Tilastopaja Oy 1993. Lasse Viren Olympic Champion; Raevuori, Antero/Haikkola, Rolf. Pub: Continental 1978. Maineen Tielta 3; Hannus & Raevuori, Matti & Antero. Pub: Lehtikanta Oy Kouvola 1981. Motion - Sport in Finland; Nieminen, Leena. Pub: Finnish Society for Research in Sport & Physical Education, 1992. Olympic Games (The) - Complete Track & field Results: Hugman & Arnold, Barry & Peter. Pub: The Arena Press 1988. Olympians, The; Coe, Sebastian/Mason, Nicholas. Pub: Pavillion 1984. + in small measure a great many other magazines, books & publications inc. Athletics Today, Athletics Weekly, Guinness Olympic Games Records (1987), Guinness Track & Field The Records (1986), International Running Guide (1984), Progression of World Best Performances & Official IAAF World Records (1987).

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