The Finland-Sweden international athletics competition, held at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium, has ended in a Swedish win. The Swedish men’s team beat Finland 216—193, while the Finnish women’s team lost by just two points 206—204.
Finland’s women rose to a four-point lead, but Sweden drove past the competition in the final 1,500 metres. Sweden took the event at 14—8 and thus turned the international championship in their favour.
The junior championships both went to Finland. Finland’s boys’ team beat Sweden 107—92, and the girls’ match was also a victory at 112—86.
Finland’s male javelin-throwers won all three top spots against Sweden’s men. Antti Ruuskanen pulled off his number one placement with his 84.26 metre throw, Tero Pitkämäki came in second at 83.24 metres and Ari Mannio came third with his 81.89 metre achievement.
In the women’s discus, Sanna Kämäräinen threw a personal best of 60.94 metres. Kämäräinen did well at the European Championships at Zurich earlier this month, and gave a prime performance at the weekend’s international championships, as well.
The Finnish festivities were also added to when Olli-Pekka Karjalainen received his European Championship gold medal for the hammer throw, after Belarus’s Ivan Tihov was caught using doping.
