Olympics | Finland’s dismal success amazes foreign experts: “So not a single medal?”

Paris

It was there.

Finland’s historic stomach flu at the Olympics was sealed on Thursday evening in Paris. When the javelin throw trio that reached the final was far from the top places, it was practically certain that Finland would not get a single medal from these Olympics.

For Finland, it is the first time that all summer and winter competitions in which our country has participated are taken into account.

We asked In Paris, what the representatives of other countries think about Finland’s exceptional balance. Olympic silver medalist in women’s pole vault Katie Moon downright shocked when he heard about the Finns’ situation.

“Oh no! Moon exclaimed, covering her face in her hands. “

For disgruntled Finnish athletics fans Wilma Murron the fierce competitor had a message oozing with empathy.

“I’m sorry. I understand well the disappointment when athletes from one’s own country don’t do as well as they would like, but remember that we athletes are our own harshest critics,” the American reminded.

“Support them and help them up because they need it. It’s crushing if you can’t come to the Olympics in the best shape and can’t compete the way you want. “

At the Olympics at least one Finn still has a chance to join the medal ceremony.

Head coach of the German men’s national basketball team Gordon Herbert has led his team to the bronze medal match in the Olympic tournament.

Herbert is originally Canadian, but he also has Finnish citizenship. Even if Germany wins Saturday’s bronze medal match, Herbert cannot become the only Finnish medalist at the Paris Games, because Olympic medals are not awarded to coaches even in team sports.

Herbert’s team lost to France in Thursday’s semifinal. In the moment of his own disappointment, the coach was not surprised by Finland’s lack of success in Paris.

“I can’t say anything about this. I’ve watched a day or two of swimming here and that’s all. I don’t know what the situation is in Finland,” Herbert said.

The past years star runner Steve Cram on the other hand, was shocked to hear that Finland has not won any medals at the Paris Olympics.

And the confusion only grew when it was emphasized to him that it is not just about athletics, but that the balance of the entire Games is round zero.

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“Perhaps you should follow Norway’s example.”

“So not a single medal? asked the Briton who won the 1,500m gold at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki.

“Finland is one of the longest participating Olympic countries, and it has achieved a lot of success in recent years. And even in recent years, like Wilma Murto in the pole vault.”

Cram is working at the Olympics as the BBC’s expert on athletics. He knows that together with Murro, who won European Championship gold and World Championship bronze, Finland has a successful past in the sport.

“In athletics, it is more difficult to achieve prestigious medals than before. But I am surprised that your country has not achieved any medals.”

“Perhaps you should follow the example of Norway. A few years ago, nothing happened at the top level in athletics in that country. But then the situation suddenly changed,” Cram said.

Norway’s biggest stars in athletics are the ME men in the 400m hurdles Karsten Warholm and endurance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen. In addition Markus Rooth won 10 matches in Paris.

“Athletics is the sport where the largest number of different countries reach medals. Finland is not one of them now. It’s a sad fact.”

Javelin throw world record holder Jan Zelezny was watching a tough final competition on Thursday, where the Finnish throwers finished in 8th, 9th and 10th place. Although Finland missed the Olympic medal, Zelezny doesn’t think it’s worth sinking into gloom.

He believes that, for example, it is the javelin throw that will bring good news in the future.

“You have to wait four years for the next Olympics. There are many good javelin throwers in Finland, you got a medal at the European Championships and three men made it to the final. And now at the Olympics three made it to the final again.”

“Of course it will take time, but I believe that in the next three or four Olympics, Finland will take a medal in all of them,” Zelezny said.

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“Finland is a small country and it has to take care of its few talents.”

International working in the management positions of the athletics association Chris Turner is a long-time follower of Finnish sports. He was not surprised by Finland’s medalless balance.

“Athletics is the only Finnish summer sport that does well. However, it is precisely in this sport that success is the most difficult. Finland has a wonderful new golden generation with many talented track and field athletes capable of high performance. The future looks very bright, especially for Finnish women,” says Turner.

“When I grew up in the 1970s and started following Finnish sports specifically, Finland produced medalists not only in athletics but also in many other sports, such as wrestling, fencing, archery and shooting.”

“Finland is a small country and it has to take care of its few talents.”

Turner recalled that Britain was a mid-level sporting country 40 years ago. At the Montreal Olympics in 1976, the country won only one gold medal and, for example, only one bronze medal in athletics. Now the populous country is a versatile sports powerhouse.

So what turned the course of success in Britain?

“National Lottery (National Lottery) brought millions into sport, but the British Olympic Committee also began scouting schools for talent and targeting success in sports where they were likely to do well, such as rowing and cycling. In these sports, there were fewer countries and the best chances to win.”

“Finland should also do the same. A country with more than five million inhabitants will never be a powerhouse in today’s world, but Finland could have a chance to win at least five or six medals.”