Finland-Sweden athletics international

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Finnkampen (Swedish, literally The Finn Battle), Suomi-Ruotsi-maaottelu (Finnish, literally Finland-Sweden-international) or Ruotsi-ottelu (among Swedish-speaking Finns Sverigekampen, literally The Sweden Battle), is a yearly athletics international competition held between Sweden and Finland since 1925.

It is, since the late 1980s, the only annual athletics international (with only two participating countries) still held at a professional level. The two-day event attracts significant audiences, with a combined total of over 50,000 tickets sold for the 2011 competition.[1] Three-time heptathlon world champion Carolina Klüft made her final international appearance for Sweden at the meeting in 2012.[2]

Competition

The competition is actually divided into two internationals, one for men and one for women. Youth competitions for men and women are also held. Each country provides their three best participants in each of the events, except for the relays where there are four participants (one team) from each country. Traditionally, the competitions have been arranged alternatively, with Finland hosting in even years and Sweden in odd years. This have changed few times in the later years, seeing one country arranging the international twice in a row a few times. The reasons for this include stadium renovations and major international competitions. Points are given to all contestants completing their event (no points are given to athletes who are disqualified, do not finish the event or don't get the result in field competitions), based on the final position in every event. Points given in each event are, from 1st to 6th place: 7-5-4-3-2-1, and in relays 1st and 2nd place are awarded with 5 and 2 points.

The competition may not be a world class one looking at the results, no single world record has been set, but there are few competitions in the world that are fiercer and more prestigious. This is most often seen in the middle-distance running, where tactics are more important than time, and these events have seen many foul tricks during the years, in 1992 resulting in the disqualification of all six runners in the men's 1500 metres event.

Another important aspect of the event is that it is a team competition. A competitor who manages to reach fourth place instead of a projected sixth place can be just as important, or even more important, for the end result as a "star" that secures the expected first place. A fight to the finish between competitor number five and six, half a lap behind the winner, can be just as important as the actual winner. The race is not over until the last competitor crosses the line. For many of the competitors the international is the most prestigious competition of the year.

The events in Finland have always been held in Helsinki, after 1939 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The Swedish events have mostly been held in Stockholm at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. From 1999 they have however been held in Gothenburg at the Ullevi Stadium because of larger spectator capacity.

Events

History

Finnkampen was held for the first time in Helsinki in 1925, with one of the participants being the five-time Olympic champion in the 1924 Summer Olympics, Paavo Nurmi. Competitions were held in 1927, 1929 and 1931. After a pause of eight years the next competition was held in 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, which led to the cancellation of the competition between 1941 and 1944. The 1940 competition was held as a triple event between Finland, Sweden and Germany, with only two athletes from each country competing in each event. The international has been continually held for men since 1945 and for women since 1964, although the first women's competition was held already in 1953.

1931 breakup

The first competitions were very much influenced by the love-hate relationship between Sweden and Finland. The 1931 event was a victory for Finland, but tensions at the track led to a knuckle fight between the runner-ups in the 800 metres race.

At the banquet after the games, the new chairman of the Finnish athletics union and future president of Finland, Urho Kekkonen announced that Finland would no longer take part in the event. The tension was in a large part caused by Swedish attempts, spearheaded by Sigfrid Edström, the Swedish president of the IAAF and vice-president of the IOC, to have Paavo Nurmi declared a professional athlete, and thus banned from international competitions. After Kekkonen's speech Swedish efforts intensified, and Nurmi was banned from the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

It took eight years until 1939, before the Finns again decided to participate, at the eve of the planned 1940 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

Results

YearLocationWinner (men)ResultWinner (women)Result
1925Helsinki Finland99-85--
1927Stockholm Sweden98-86--
1929Helsinki Sweden93-90--
1931Stockholm Finland104-76--
1939Stockholm Finland112-102--
1940Helsinki Sweden111-103--
1945Stockholm Sweden105-79--
1946Helsinki Sweden114.5-68.5--
1947Gothenburg Sweden106-78--
1948Helsingborg Sweden138-76--
1950Stockholm Sweden123-88--
1951Helsinki Finland216-194--
1953Stockholm Sweden217-193 Sweden58-48
1954Helsinki Finland207-202 Sweden64-42
1955Stockholm Finland213-196 Sweden58-48
1956Helsinki Finland209-201--
1957Stockholm Finland208-201 Sweden64-42
1958Helsinki Finland232-177 Sweden66-51
1959Gothenburg Finland209-200 Sweden64-53
1960Helsinki Finland216-194 Sweden67-50
1961Stockholm Finland220.5-189.5 Sweden68.5-48.5
1962Helsinki Finland219-190--
1963Stockholm Finland220-190--
1964Helsinki Finland210.5-199.5 Sweden64-53
1965Stockholm Sweden210-200 Sweden65-52
1966Helsinki Sweden208.5-199.5 Sweden62-55
1967Stockholm Sweden212-198 Sweden66-51
1968Helsinki Finland208.5-199.5 Sweden64-52
1969Stockholm Sweden212.5-195.5 Sweden75-60
1970Helsinki Finland227-182 Sweden82-53
1971Gothenburg Finland224-183 Sweden71-64
1972Helsinki Finland236.5-173.5 Finland73-60
1973Stockholm Finland223-187 Finland77-69
1974Helsinki Finland207-200 Finland75-60
1975Stockholm Finland214-191 Finland94-62
1976Helsinki Finland223-187 Finland91-66
1977Stockholm Finland212-194 Finland86-69
1978Helsinki Finland240-168 Finland85-72
1979Stockholm Finland214-194 Finland80-77
1980Helsinki Finland232-178 Sweden79-78
1981Stockholm Finland214-196 Sweden81-75
1982Helsinki Finland215-193 Sweden79-78
1983Stockholm Finland234-176 Sweden83-74
1984Helsinki Finland216-193 Finland155-145
1985Stockholm Sweden219-185 Sweden166-156
1986Helsinki Sweden210.5-198.5 Sweden184-138
1987Stockholm Finland210.5-197.5 Finland165-157
1988Helsinki Finland229.5-180.5 Finland170-150
1989Stockholm Sweden213-197 Finland184-138
1990Helsinki Finland217-193 Finland182-140
1991Stockholm Sweden226-183 Finland197-147
1992Helsinki Sweden198-187 Finland195-149
1993Stockholm Sweden215-192 Finland198-144
1994Stockholm Sweden219-190 Finland174-170
1995Helsinki Finland213-196 Finland196-146
1996Helsinki Sweden205.5-202.5 Finland215-173
1997Stockholm Finland207.5-198.5 Finland223-165
1998Helsinki Finland206-200 Finland210-178
1999Gothenburg Sweden210-198 Finland212-175
2000Helsinki Sweden216-194 Finland219-191
2001Gothenburg Sweden218-185 Sweden213-197
2002Helsinki Finland223-187 Sweden215.5-192.5
2003Helsinki Finland205-203 Sweden208.5-201.5
2004Gothenburg Sweden217-191 Sweden228.5-178.5
2005Gothenburg Finland212-197 Sweden230-179
2006Helsinki Finland204-201 Sweden226-183
2007Gothenburg Finland203-199 Sweden219-189
2008Helsinki Finland215-193 Sweden209.5-197.5
2009Gothenburg Sweden208-200 Sweden213-197
2010Helsinki Finland214-195 Sweden226-182
2011Helsinki Finland206-194 Sweden225-182
2012Gothenburg Sweden220-187 Finland223-187
2013Stockholm Sweden235-173 Sweden215-195

Totals

  • Men:

Finland Finland 45 – 28 Sweden Sweden

  • Women:

Finland Finland 24 – 34 Sweden Sweden

  • Total:

Finland Finland 69 – 62 Sweden Sweden

References

  1. ↑ Sonninen, A-P (2011-09-12). Finland and Sweden share match victories in famous annual match. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
  2. ↑ Julin, A. Lennart (2012-09-03). Swedish men, Finnish women victorious in Gothenburg as Klüft takes final bow. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-01-19.

External links

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