1908 London - Suomen Olympiakomitea

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LONDON 1908

13–25 July 1908 (Stadium events). Competitions in various sports from 27 April to 31 October.
110 official medal events.
2,024 competitors from 22 countries.
Finnish team: 65 athletes (63 participated in official events).

In London 1908 Finland took part at official Olympic Games for the first time. The Finnish Olympic Committee, founded in December 1907, sent to England a large team, consisting of track and field athletes, wrestlers, swimmers, divers, shooters and a 26-man gymnastics team. The success was less than expected, however. Finland’s only gold and silver medal came from the same competition: Verner Weckman beat Yrjö Saarela in the final of the heavy middleweight division of Greco-Roman wrestling. In track and field events the only medal was Verner Järvinen’s bronze in Ancient style discus throw. The Finnish gymnastics team finished likewise in third place. Finnish shooters had no chance of success with their old-fashioned rifles.

Medal Standings

		G	S	B	Total
1	Great Britain	56	51	39	146
2	USA	23	12	12	47
3	Sweden	8	6	11	25
4	France	5	5	9	19
5	Germany	3	5	5	13
6	Hungary	3	4	2	9
7	Canada	3	3	10	16
8	Norway	2	3	3	8
9	Italy	2	2	0	4
10	Belgium	1	5	2	8
11	Greece	0	3	0	3
12	Australasia	1	2	2	5
13	Russia	1	2	0	3
14	Finland	1	1	3	5
15	South Africa	1	1	0	2
16	Denmark	0	2	3	5
17	Netherlands	0	0	2	2
	Bohemia	0	0	2	2
19	Austria	0	0	1	1

The wrestler Verner Weckman was Finland’s first Olympic champion. He won gold at the Intercalated Games in Athens 1906 as well as at the Olympic Games of 1908 in London.
(Sports Museum of Finland)

FINNISH MEDALS

*1908 London*	1 gold 1 silver 3 bronze
Gold:
Greco-Roman wrestling	Verner Weckman
Silver:
Greco-Roman wrestling	Yrjö Saarela
Bronze:
Discus throw, Greek style	Verner Järvinen
Greco-Roman wrestling	Arvo Lindén
Team gymnastics	team*

* team:
(Eino Forsström, Otto Granström, Johan Kemp, Iivari Kyykoski, Heikki Lehmusto, John Lindroth, Yrjö Linko, Edvard Linna, Matti Markkanen, Kalle Mikkolainen, Veli Nieminen, Kalle Kustaa Paasia, Arvi Pohjanpää, Aarre Pohjonen, Eino Railio, Ale Riipinen, Arno Saarinen, Einar Sahlstein, Aarne Salovaara, Torsten Sandelin, Elias Sipilä, Viktor Smeds, Kalle Soinio, Kurt Stenberg, Väinö Tiiri, Magnus Wegelius)