The Finnish team is preparing for the World Cup in the small town of Creswell near Eugene. The locals welcomed the Finns enthusiastically.
13:44•Updated 14:34
EUGENE. Finland’s national athletics team got real VIP treatment at the World Championship preparatory camp in Oregon.
A welcome party was waiting at the place, and even the proper porridge soup had been learned at the hotel for the Finnish guests.
For the residents of Creswell, which is twenty kilometers away from the World Cup stage in Eugene, meeting foreign top athletes was a wonderful experience.
The village of 5,000 inhabitants started preparing for the arrival of Finns already in January. Finnish Sports Federation’s top sports coaching manager Tuomo Salonen was in contact with a local endurance running coach to Lonn Robertsonwho wanted to provide the guests with everything they needed, and a little more.
At that time there was talk of a couple of dozen athletes, but the size of the team eventually swelled to 36 athletes.
– The biggest challenge was getting a bed for everyone, but we got everything sorted in the end. I believe that the Finns are satisfied, says Robertson.
Robertson’s love for Finland was ignited already in the 1970s, although he has never visited the country. He was impressed by the Finnish endurance running tradition and above all Lasse Virénin feats on running tracks.
– I have always loved athletics. The thought of the Finnish team coming to my hometown almost made me cry, says Robertson.
the director of coaching and training of the Finnish Sports Association, Jarkko Finninaccording to the hospitality of the villagers and spending time together have raised the spirit of the Finnish team even more.
– We have been here like in a gentleman’s purse. This Creswell is a small village. The whole village has been extremely excited and helped us. It is a big advantage that we are in a small village that wants the Finnish national team here. They have built a great camp for us, Finni beams.
A large part of the Finns camped in Creswell for a week before moving to the competition village on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.
The team management knew how to prepare for the stress caused by the long journey and the ten-hour time difference. Nothing was left to chance, but advice was sought from professionals in the field to tame jet lag.
According to Finn, the preparations have gone according to plan without setbacks, and the health of the team is good.
Bends on the way
While surveying the needs of the Finnish team, Lonn Robertson quickly ran into a problem. Five pitchers were coming from Finland. Unfortunately, moukari cages were not available throughout the state.
The reason for that is that very few states in the US have high school-age youths throwing the moukari. Many try the sport only in university.
The cage could have been purchased for around 58,000 euros, but that would have been an unreasonable price to collect from the village community. In the end, the former American record holder of the sport came to the rescue Lance Dealwho had heard about Robertson’s problem on the trash radio.
Deal, who won silver at the Atlanta Olympics, said that he can design a cage for the Finnish team to use. The throwing site was completed as a taluk job in the grounds of Creswell high school with taluk forces. The whole fun came to cost tens of thousands of euros.
– My task was to make a ring. Lance was giving instructions, but I was terribly nervous that it wasn’t going to be good. The surface must be rough enough to prevent slipping. Fortunately, it has worked for the athletes, Robertson laughs.
At the same time, a new purpose was found for the former sheep pasture. It doesn’t matter if the moukari flies even further on a cloudy day.
– Somehow, it’s really great that we appreciate so much that that ring was made for us. It’s really cool. A good place and a lot of space to throw, says Silja Kosonen.
See below what kind of cage was built for the Finnish team. The story continues after the video.
The Finns have certainly focused on training and resting, but according to Kosonen, there has also been enough time for relaxed togetherness.
– I brought Yankee football from Finland. We have been throwing that and the frisbee. We also went shopping a bit and had pizza at the home of one of the locals who helped us, says 19-year-old Kosonen, who is participating in his first World Championships.
Moukari men Tuomas Seppänen and Aaron Kangas will start their work at the World Championships right away on Friday, the morning of the first day of the competition, local time.
– You can proudly say that you are a Finnish moukari thrower, when we have been noticed at this great throwing place. We throwers can do all the throwing exercises and punts here in high school. There is no need to go to other fields, says Seppänen.
Krista TervoSilja Kosonen and who completed the team at the last moment Suvi Koskinen on the other hand, they will fight for the final places on Friday from 22:05 Finnish time.
– Great cage and seats. It’s been really nice to train here and we have a great team spirit. The locals are really friendly and you feel welcome, says Tervo.
“Now it’s clear who I’m rooting for”
Having spent time with the athletes, Robertson says that it has been easy to get to know the friendly and polite Finns. According to him, the sense of humor of Finns and Americans has collided very well and the laughter has been lively.
– I was cycling through the city today and people thought I was from Finland. They waved and said hello. Before they didn’t wave, but now that they think I’m from Finland, they’re friendly. I was pleasantly surprised, says Robertson.
During the camp week, Robertson became a true fan of the Finnish national team. Jarkko Finni lent Robertson the same Finnish flag for the duration of the Games, which was used in the 2021 European Championships, where Finland won three medals.
– I was excited about the World Cup from the beginning. I volunteer at the marathon. Now it’s clear who I’m rooting for. I’m so excited to know them by name. I already have the Finnish flag ready. Today, I know more Finnish athletes than Americans, says Robertson.