An athletics match between the national teams of Finland and Sweden is taking place at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The senior competition features 22 events each for men and women, YLE News reports.
Saturday programme
Saturday’s programme opened with the men’s 10,000-metre race walk and the women’s 5,000-metre race walk. The official opening of the match is scheduled for 18:00.
The evening programme includes discus throw, 400-metre hurdles, pole vault, 10,000-metre run, 100-metre and 400-metre races, hammer throw, shot put, long jump and high jump, 3,000-metre steeplechase, javelin throw and triple jump. The programme also includes 4×400-metre relays for girls and boys, as well as 4×100-metre relays in combined races for girls and women and for boys and men.
Saturday evening at the Olympic Stadium is expected to conclude with a celebration of the European Championship medals won by Finnish athletes Alisa Vainio, Silja Kosonen and Wilma Helttelä.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Team expectations
Finnish team captains Elmo Lakka, Lotta Harala and Ella Junnila expect an even contest. Lakka believes Finland can win both senior classifications if the team maintains its current state of health.
Lakka and Harala will end their active sporting careers on Sunday after the 110-metre and 100-metre hurdles, respectively. Junnila noted that the Finland–Sweden match stands out for its special atmosphere.
Last year’s results
Last year in Stockholm, Sweden won both senior classifications: the men’s team won 252:201, while the women’s team won 242.5:211.5. Tuomo Salonen, head of high-performance sport at the Finnish Athletics Federation, said statistical calculations predict a particularly even contest this time.
In the youth classification, after 17 of 21 events, Finland was ahead of Sweden: 105:92 among boys and 117:81 among girls.
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