Junior European champion Jonni Sarkkinen was in top form at the European Olympic qualifying tournament in Baku.
Harjun Woima from Jyväskylä Jonni Sarkkinen wrestling in the 77-kilogram category, Finland’s first place at the Paris Olympics. Sarkkinen, 21, who won the European Youth Championship last year, was in a great mood throughout the day, winning four matches in the Baku qualifying tournament, and in the decisive semi-final, he scored an overwhelming victory over Hungary From Zoltan Levais. Levai is the World Championship silver medalist from two years ago.
Sarkkinen, who started his career in the equalization round, defeated the Albanian in the first match of the day Kevin Cup with a back win. In the second match, the Norwegian fell By Anders Kure in a close match thanks to a later passivity point. In the semi-final, they faced Sweden Per Olofssonand Sarkkinen was stronger 9–1.
Wrestling coach Pasi Sarkkinen and a two-time aerobics world champion Tuuli Matinsalo the boy’s sensationally great day culminated in Levai winning. The long Finnish tradition of Olympic wrestlers continues, as Finnish wrestlers have participated in the Olympic Games since 1906.
The biggest hopes of Finns Arvi Savolainen and Elias Kuosmanen were involved in Tokyo, but securing a place in Paris was still a dream. Savolainen, competing in the 97-kilogram category, lost to the Norwegian in the opening match For Felix Baldauf 1–7, and the heavyweight fighter Kuosmanen succumbed to the Romanian, who won thanks to a later point To Alexuc Ciurariu.
The next and last chance to claim an Olympic ticket is in May, when there are still three places up for grabs at the world qualifying tournament in Istanbul.
From Finns Matias Lipasti (67 kg) and Walter Latvala (87 kg) were also involved in the Baku tournament, wrestling for Olympic places, but Lipasti lost his first match and Latvala his second.