Carolina Kluft in action in the Long Jump of the Heptathlon (© Getty Images)
The 63rd match between Finland and Sweden is athletics in its purest and richest form. Born in 1925 when these two Nordic nations were athletically on a par with the USA, this annual dual meet in Finnish “Ruotsiottelu” and in Swedish “Finnkampen”, holds an emotional grip on both countries.
Regularly drawing combined crowds of 60,000+ and live television coverage throughout the two day competition, this meeting celebrates the core values of Athletics.
Sweden will provide most of the internationally known star names of this year’s edition which takes place on Friday and Saturday evening (5 & 6 September), Christian Olsson, Stefan Holm, Patrik Kristiansson, and the irrepressible Combined Events show girl Carolina Klüft.
Coming less than a week after the close of the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Paris Saint-Denis, the meet due to renovations of Helsinki’s 1952 Olympic stadium will be the last competition at the venue prior to 2005, when this ‘temple to Athletics’ will host the 10th IAAF World Championships.
Finland’s capital had the honour of holding the inaugural Worlds in 1983, and will in less than two years time become the first city to stage the championships for a second time.
Paris brought contrasting fortunes for the two Baltic neighbours, while Sweden excelled in what were her best global championships since the 1948 London Olympics (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), Finland ended the nine day event without a World championships medal for the first time in the country’s history (a fourth, fifth, seventh and an eighth place finish their best places).
However, Finland’s athletics team remains well balanced and even without reigning Olympic Shot champion Arsi Harju (out of form) and 1999 World Javelin gold medallist Aki Parviainen (knee problems), in events such as the men’s Shot, Javelin, Discus and Hammer even in a poor season the national depth remains impressive.
In this three competitors per side, per event match, the Finns based upon 2003 season results are even expected to win the men’s competition (215 – 195 points), while in the women’s duel a neck and neck tussle is predicted, with Sweden marginally ahead on paper, 206.5 to 203.5 points.
Crucial to the balance of power in the women’s match will be the performance of Klüft, as Sweden’s World and European Heptathlon champion will tackle five, possibly six individual disciplines over the two days.
With a 6.86m personal best, Klüft is the best long jumper of the six athlete field. The 20 year-old will also tackle the 100m, 200m, 100m Hurdles, 4x100m relay, and if points are needed to guarantee victory in the last track event of the meet on Saturday, she may even take on the 4x400m Relay too.
Even a below par Klüft should be enough to swing the women’s team victory to the visitors. However, the Finnish team were relieved to discover that rumours that the Heptathlon ace might also contest the Triple Jump against their own heroine Heli Koivula-Kruger, the European silver medallist will not materialise. With two 14 metres jumpers, the Triple along with the Hammer and the Javelin are seen as certain point bankers for the Finns.
Finally, it’s important to point out one essential ingredient to the enjoyment of this unique sporting occasion. The athletics fan must temporarily suspend all knowledge of the world season’s list or for that matter current World or European records. While stars such as double World Indoor High Jump champion Stefan Holm or World and European Triple Jump champion Christian Olsson will no doubt produce exemplary results as usual, this meeting is not about times, distance or heights, it is ALL about competition. It is a battle for points, a battle of national pride and respect.
Even in Javelin crazy Finland, ask a spectator what they would rather see, a World record or a home 1-2-3 finish ahead of the Swedes, and even the most fervent javelin fan will always opt for the latter in the context of this match.
So all we now await is the thousands of flag waving, horn blowing fans to take their seats in Helsinki’s atmospheric stadium tomorrow night, and then the annual ritual can begin.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
