Athens will compete with club teams after the national teams have won medals at the World Championships.
Stunning permanto acrobatics, stunts, jumps and the joy of exercise are promised this weekend, when the Finns compete in the European Championships in cheerleading in Athens. There are 14 Finnish teams involved.
The previous European Championships were competed in the summer of 2019, when Finland won seven medals. In Cheerleading, the World Cup and European Championships differ in that the World Championships are competed with national teams, and in the European Championships, competitors represent their clubs.
HAC Elite from Helsinki, which has won medals and success in the value competitions, will leave Athens with a tense atmosphere. The team Hanna Stocklin, 22, says she has been in cheerleading for 12 years. He used to play ringing, but got excited about cheerleading after seeing his friends ’tricks and human structures. Stocklin teammate, figure skating background Tuuve Häkkinen23, has been practicing the sport for nine years.
– After figure skating, I missed a new sport and found cheerleading through a Norwegian blogger, Häkkinen recalls.
The women have four world championships in the Orlando World Championships in their pockets.
– We are going to Athens with 35 athletes, and of course the brightest medal is our goal. Norwegians are tough. The last time we saw their performance at the 2019 European Championships, Stocklin ponders.
Even the oldest rejuvenates like a child to play. Coach of HAC Xray Henri Haukkovaara sacrifices and puts everything into the game.
– We have 23 members in the team, and our performance needs 24 athletes. No one else was found, so you had to jump into the ring yourself, Haukkovaara said.
Race trips from your own bag
Cheerleading should not be considered a money shampoo. During the day, athletes study or work, and the European Championships pay for their Europeans.
– The club pays for a few race outfits and three shirts, otherwise we pay all the costs ourselves. We do not receive funding from the union or anywhere else. We desperately need sponsors. We raise funds for it within the current timeframe, says the coach of Funky Team Gorillaz Mija Schrey.
The competition of the Finnish teams will start on Saturday. Based on the semi-finals, the top five teams in each series will advance to the European Championship finals.