Sport in Finland
Finland is a Nordic country bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia. Their traditional sport is called Pesapallo that literally translates to “nest ball” and is very close to baseball.
Ski Jump in Lathi, FinlandAs far as international sports though, Finland plays mostly winter-type games like ice hockey, ski jumping and cross-country skiing. However, they also enjoy athletics and motor sports like Formula One.
Finland is also one of the powerhouse countries when it comes to the Olympics. Finland first participated in the Olympic Games in 1908 and in 1912, Hannes Kolehmainen, the original “Flying Finn” took a record three Olympic gold medals.
One of the country's greatest athletes, who is also considered as one of the greatest Olympians, Paavo Nurmi, took a total of nine Olympic gold medals from 1920 and 1928 as well as setting numerous world records between 1921 and 1931.
Finnish athletes have also pretty much dominated the javelin throw for over 100 years giving them 9 Olympic gold medals, 5 world championships, 5 European championships and a staggering 24 world records. Another sport that Finnish players excel in is ice hockey. Their national team is widely considered as one, if not the, best in the world and has taken 2 world championships (1995 and 2011) and 6 Olympic medals. Finland also hosted the 1952 Summer Olympic Games as well as the 1983 and 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
The Finnish National Football Team has not had great success. In 2000, the etam qualified for the UEFA European Championship (the Euros). It was the first time Finland had ever qualified for a major Football tournament.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Finland.
Popular sports of Finland
- Football (Soccer), ice hockey, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, athletics, motor sports
Traditional or Local Sports
- Pesäpallo — a Finnish variation of baseball, the major difference is that the ball is pitched vertically.
- Finnish Skittles — opposing players take turns to knockdown their opponent's skittles.
- Mölkky — players use a wooden pin to try to knock over wooden pins.
Finland Sporting Success
Great athletes from Finland
- Paavo Nurmi (running)
- Jari Litmanen (Football)
- Jari Kurri (ice hockey)
Finland Sports trivia
Finland at major events
Past sporting events hosted in Finland
- 1952 Summer Olympic Games, Helsinki
- 1983 World Championships in Athletics
- 1993 Men's World Boxing Championships in Tampere
- 2005 World Championships in Athletics
- 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Tampere
Upcoming sporting events in Finland
- 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
- 2025 Weightlifting World Championships, Forde
Annual sporting events held in Finland
Sporting Facilities in Finland
- Sport Institutes of Finland
- Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland.
Other
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