The 2014 National Hockey League Championships concluded on June 13 with the Los Angeles Kings winning the Stanley Cup over the New York Rangers, 5 games to 1 in L.A. But it took the Kings a double overtime for the new NHL champs's 3-2 final victory. It's the second time in three years that the Kings have hoisted the venerated Stanley Cup.
In the June issue we were stuck admidships in the World Hockey Championships in Minsk, Belarus, at press time with Finland having lost its first two games. But lo and behold, the Finnish Lions came back to roar into the finals before it was all over. Along the way, they lost to Russia, 4-2, in the early rounds; blanked Germany, 4-0 with Pekka Rinne as goalie; took host Belarus, 2-0; Switzerland, 3-2, on Iiro Pakarinen's OT gold; fell to USA, 3-1; and proceeded into the championship rounds by edging Kazahkstan, 5-4; then dumped mighty Canada in the quarterfinals, 3-2; goose-egged the Czech Republic in the semis, 3-0, with Jori Lehtola and Jaakko Immonen providing goals, with Rinne again superbly guarding the cage. Undefeated Russia had vanquished Sweden in its semis so the Suomi guys ended up facing their large Eastern neighbor again, You may remember Finland had eliminated Russia in their Winter Olympics game at Sochi, where it bronzed, But its luck didn't hold at Minsk. The Ivans took the title over the Jussis, 5-2. Yet silver isn't that shabby an award, either! The Swedes aced the Czechs for the bronze.
In some important record setting, Finland's Fredrik Smulter, 31, set a WR of 400 kilograms on the bench press in the World Weightlifting Championships in Denmark in the Men's 120-kilo class. No one had ever pressed 400 kilos before! Runner-up Jonathan Lee tried but failed and had to settle for 380. Anniina Laitinen set a Finnish women's NR in 55.05 in the outdoor 400-meter run which she won at Ghent, Belgium. Sandra Eriksson, who had already qualified for the 3000m Steeplechase at the European Championships at Zurich, set a new NR in this specialty at the Lahti Elite Games of 9:34.71. Sandra also had the old record which she ran at the Finnish-Swedish Dual Meet in 9:38.38 last year. She also qualified for the 1500-meter run at Zurich by winning at that distance at the Flanders Cup in Belgium with a PB of 4:15.75.
Finland vanquished Canada, 6-2, in the finals of the World Roller Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. It's called rullakiekko in Finnish and it's played on inline roller skates. Kasperi Lehiköinen, 22, defeated Mateusz Bubowski in the finals of the Lithuanian Badminton Open, 18-21, 21-9, 21-13, inVilna. Badminton is called sulkapallo in Finnish. Kasperi had won the Norwegian Open last November. Sanna Kämäräinen set another personal best in the discus of 58.05-meters, winning at a track meet in Bedford, England. Her indoor best is 60.07 from this past winter's Finnish championships. Juuso Väisänen won the European Cup for the third straight time in FIFA's aerobics.
In the Diamond League's opening meet at Shanghai Ihab Abdeirahma, 25, set an Egyptian and African record in the javelin with a best throw of 89.21 for a PB and the longest throw seen in the world the past three seasons. He has a Finnish coach, Petteri Piironen. Reigning World siver medallist Tero Pitkämäki could only attain sixth place with 81.36. But Pitkämäki made up for lost ground at the Oslo Diamond League, winning it with 84.18, just a shade farther than Kenyan Julius Yep's 84.17. Czech Republic's Viterzslav Vesely was third with 83.53. Our best wishes go to Tero Pitkämäki and his life partner champion heptathlete Niina Kelo on the recent birth of a son, their first child. Finland used to be a shotput nation with Arsi Harju its last Olympic champion. Its most promising newcomer in several years is Arttu Kangas,19,with an oudoor PB of 19.58. His best indoor shot was 19.56. As defending Kaleva Games national champion, we're looking forward to Arttu throwing 20 meters and more this season. The June issue of the National Masters News reports on the success of two older age group Finns at the Boston Marathon on April 21. Finland's Urpo Naumanen won the masters men's 65-69 age category in 3:02:22 while Keijo Talvasalo of Thornhill, Ontario was tops in the M75-79 division in 3:41:04.
The Nyström sisters, Emilia and Erika, earned their third medal, a bronze, at the European Beach Volleyball Championships at Baden, Austria. They also have a Euro silver to their credit. They lost in the semis to another sister team, Doris and Stephanie Schwager of Austria: 4-21, 21-15, 15-8. The Nyström's won their 2014 bronze by defeating Madeleine Meppelink and Marleen van Iersel of Holland. (No scoring available.) Since beach volleyball isn't always played on beaches, American sportswriters have begun calling it "sand volleyball." The UC-Berkeley varsity women's regular volleyball team played several games of sand volleyball with other colleges in the late spring this year.
David Erkkilä, an old San Francisco friend, avid sports fan, and FAR subscriber, sent me some coverage of Finnish-American athletes I knew nothing about: J. J. Koski, San Ramon Valley junior wide receiver, was voted Most Valuable Player of the NIKE Football Training Camp for Northern California at Chabot College in Hayward. He also ran a 200-meter sprint in 22.13 seconds for the third fastest in the area. Also from David: Lonnie Kauppila, former Stanford University shortstop, now playing second base for Clinton, Iowa, in the Class A Midwest League, had his team come from behind with a score of 1-17, to win the game, 20-17. Besides playing second base, Lonnie pitched one inning for the first time since the eighth grade.
Kiitos,
David.
Since Good Sports has little contact with accomplishments by Finnish-American and Finnish-Canadian athletes, we encourage FAR readers to send us such information you might run across. About your children, grandchildren, maybe? Contact: harry.siitonen@yahoo.com.
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