Sport in Finland
Encyclopedia
Sport is considered a national pastime in Finland
and many Finns visit different sporting events regularly. Pesäpallo
is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular forms of sport in terms of television viewers and media coverage are ice-hockey and Formula One
.
The most popular recreational sports and activities include floorball
, nordic walking
, running
and skiing
.
has been said to "run Finland onto the world map" at the 1912 Summer Olympics
, and from the 1920 Summer Olympics
to World War II
Finland was the second most successful country in athletics, as only the United States
managed to collect more Olympic medals. Javelin throw
is the only event in which Finland has enjoyed success all the way from the 1900s to this day. Thus, it is currently the most popular athletics event in Finland.
an countries, is not the most popular spectator sport
, as it falls behind ice hockey
, which enjoys a huge amount of popularity in the country. Football
tops ice hockey in the number of registered players (115 000 vs. 60 000) and as a popular hobby (160 000 vs. 90 000 in adults and 230 000 vs. 105 000 in youth). It is the most popular hobby among 3-18-year olds, whereas ice hockey is 9th.
Football's standing is constantly increasing, especially among girls and women, where the yearly growth rate has lately been over 10 percent. In season 2006–07 19,9 percent of registered players were female. The Football Association of Finland
(Palloliitto) has approximately a thousand clubs as its members. According to a Gallup poll, nearly 400 000 people include football in their hobbies.
competitions. In the 1960s Finnish rally drivers started to dominate international events and have held the post since, making Finland the most successful nation in the World Rally Championship
. Finland's WRC event, Neste Oil Rally Finland, gathers 500,000 spectators every year.
Currently the most popular form of motorsport is Formula One
. F1 was popularized in Finland in the 1980s by Keke Rosberg
, the first Finnish champion in the sport, and reached its peak when Mika Häkkinen
won the championship twice in the late 1990s. With both current Finnish drivers, Kimi Räikkönen
and Heikki Kovalainen
, in top teams for the 2008
season, the television broadcasts of F1 races are expected to be watched by 25% of the population in Finland.
Other forms of motorsport popular in Finland include Grand Prix motorcycle racing
, which reached its peak in the early 1970s before the death of Jarno Saarinen
and enduro
, in which the 7- and 11-time World Enduro Champions
Kari Tiainen
and Juha Salminen
have ensured media coverage in their home country.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and many Finns visit different sporting events regularly. Pesäpallo
Pesäpallo
Pesäpallo is a fast-moving ball sport that is quite often referred to as the national sport of Finland and has some presence in other countries, such as Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, and Northern Ontario in Canada...
is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular forms of sport in terms of television viewers and media coverage are ice-hockey and Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
The most popular recreational sports and activities include floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
, nordic walking
Nordic walking
Nordic walking, originally known as ski walking, is a physical activity and a sport consisting of walking with poles similar to ski poles.-Origin:...
, running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.
Athletics
The sport of athletics has historically been an important part of both Finnish sports history and national identity. Hannes KolehmainenHannes Kolehmainen
Juho Pietari "Hannes" Kolehmainen was a Finnish long-distance runner. He is considered to be the first of a generation of great Finnish long distance runners, often named the "Flying Finns". Kolehmainen competed for a number of years in the United States, wearing the Winged Fist of the Irish...
has been said to "run Finland onto the world map" at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
, and from the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Finland was the second most successful country in athletics, as only the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
managed to collect more Olympic medals. Javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
is the only event in which Finland has enjoyed success all the way from the 1900s to this day. Thus, it is currently the most popular athletics event in Finland.
Association football
Association football in Finland, unlike in most EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, is not the most popular spectator sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
, as it falls behind ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, which enjoys a huge amount of popularity in the country. Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
tops ice hockey in the number of registered players (115 000 vs. 60 000) and as a popular hobby (160 000 vs. 90 000 in adults and 230 000 vs. 105 000 in youth). It is the most popular hobby among 3-18-year olds, whereas ice hockey is 9th.
Football's standing is constantly increasing, especially among girls and women, where the yearly growth rate has lately been over 10 percent. In season 2006–07 19,9 percent of registered players were female. The Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
(Palloliitto) has approximately a thousand clubs as its members. According to a Gallup poll, nearly 400 000 people include football in their hobbies.
Motorsport
Motorsport became popular in Finland in the 1950s with the birth of rallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
competitions. In the 1960s Finnish rally drivers started to dominate international events and have held the post since, making Finland the most successful nation in the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
. Finland's WRC event, Neste Oil Rally Finland, gathers 500,000 spectators every year.
Currently the most popular form of motorsport is Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. F1 was popularized in Finland in the 1980s by Keke Rosberg
Keke Rosberg
Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...
, the first Finnish champion in the sport, and reached its peak when Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
won the championship twice in the late 1990s. With both current Finnish drivers, Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
and Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British based team McLaren and the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Team Lotus....
, in top teams for the 2008
2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
season, the television broadcasts of F1 races are expected to be watched by 25% of the population in Finland.
Other forms of motorsport popular in Finland include Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
, which reached its peak in the early 1970s before the death of Jarno Saarinen
Jarno Saarinen
Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen was a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is the only Finn to win a road racing World Championship.- Career :...
and enduro
Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges...
, in which the 7- and 11-time World Enduro Champions
World Enduro Championship
The FIM World Enduro Championship is the world championship series for enduro, a popular form of off-road motorcycle sport. The championship currently features three classes , along with separate categories for junior and female riders. The WEC was first organized in 1990, and currently consists...
Kari Tiainen
Kari Tiainen
Kari Tiainen is a Finnish enduro rider. He is a seven-time World Enduro Champion and held the record for most wins in the world championship , until the record was broken by compatriot Juha Salminen during the 2008 season...
and Juha Salminen
Juha Salminen
Juha Salminen is a Finnish enduro rider. He is a 13-time World Enduro Champion and has also won the German championship and the Spanish championship . In motocross, he won the Finnish championship in 2002...
have ensured media coverage in their home country.
See also
- The Flying FinnsFlying Finn (athlete)"The Flying Finn" is a nickname given to several Finnish athletes. Originally, it was given to several Finnish middle and long-distance runners...
- Sportspersons on List of Finns