The Siftings Herald

Finns Depend On Light Athletics For Olympics

Helsingfors, July 14-(A.P.)-This land of a thousand lakes and interminable winters has gathered together an Olympic team which it believes will bring fame and honor to the Finnish nation.

Although a little country of only three million inhabitants, Finland's hardy climate has produced a race of athletes who have given a good account of themselves in previous Olympiads.

In the Paris Olympics in 1924, little Finland won ten gold medals in the light athletic events, compared to the 11 won by the United States.

Finland thus feels it has a position and reputation to defend this year. The whole Finnish troupe will consist of only 75 to 85 persons, including trainers and business managers, but each man is a picked athlete.

Finland figures that her chances will be best in the light athletic sports, as was the case in previous Olympic contests, and in wrestling. This latter sport is very popular in this country and several of the best amateur wrestlers of Europe are Finns. Swimming and boxing will also bring forward Finnish competitors, but the home land does not pin many hopes upon them.

Finland, summing all up, calculates on five victories as quite certain-the javelin throw, decathlon, 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs, the steeplechase and believes herself capable of getting a good placing in the marathon, hop-step-and-jump, putting the shot, discus and 1,500 meter race.

The celebrated Paavo Nurmi will be the salient figure of Finland's team. His own countrymen know very little of his form this year. He won the Finn cross-country championship easily. In Finland there is no doubt he will win the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races.

Ville Ritola, who won two gold medals in Paris, in 1924, will also take part in Amsterdam, running the same distance as Nurmi, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. He is expected to give Nurmi a very hot fight on the long distances. A third man on the same distance is Kalle Matilainen, who has developed a tremendous spring. He should be good for 14.45 minutes on 5,000 meters, and 31 minutes on 10,000 meters.

Finland expects to win the javelin throwing matches as she has done more or less consistently in the past. Eino Penttila is Finland's hope in this contest.

For the decathlon, Finland will offer a farmer boy who has turned out to be a phenomenon. Paavo Yrjola is considered unbeatable in Finland as an all-around athlete in the different events which make up the decathlon--running, hurdling, putting the shot, throwing the javelin, throwing the discus, the running high jump, running broad jump and pole jump.

Other athletes on whom Finland is relying are Armas Wahistedt, shot-putter; Hannes Kohlemainen, Eino Rastas, Martti Martelin and Waino Sipila, marathon runners; Phil Kinunen, 1,500 meter runner; P. Lagerstrom, 800 meters; Bengt Sjoberg, 110 meter hurdles; Erkki Wilen, 400 meter hurdles, and Raul Hellberg, bicycle racer.

In the wrestling events, Finland is entering men for all classes. Hjalmar Nyström, winner of the European championship, will be among its grapplers. Others will be: Edward Westerlund, former Olympic, northern Europe and Finnish champion lightweight and Valno Kokkinen, light middle weight.
When the Finn athletic delegates leave Helsingfors for Amsterdam, one of the last things they will see in Helsingfors is the statue erected to Nurmi, which shows how enthusiastic the Finns are for sport.