"The Flying Finn" (Finnish: Lentävä suomalainen) was a nickname given to several Finnish middle and long-distance runners. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Middle distance track events are track races longer than sprints up to (and arguably including 3000 Metres. Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy The term has such international renown that it is often attached to notable Finnish sportsmen whose exploits are fleet of foot or have to do with fast cars.

Contents 1 Running 2 Motorsport 3 Other Flying Finns 4 References 5 External links

Running

The nickname was first used of Hannes Kolehmainen, also known as "Smiling Hannes", as he took home three gold medals and broke two world records during the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Juho Pietari "Hannes" Kolehmainen ( ( 9 December 1889 &ndash 11 January 1966) was a Finnish long-distance The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1912 in ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the ^[1] As Finnish runners started to dominate long-distance running, the nickname was passed on to all successful Finns in the sport, including multi-Olympic gold medalists Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. Vilho ("Ville" Eino Ritola ( 18 January 1896 &ndash 24 April 1982) was a Finnish athlete, specialised in Nurmi won three gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium and five at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he was partnered with Ritola, who ran to four gold medals. The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920 The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Volmari Iso-Hollo, the winner of 3000m steeplechase at the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics, was one of the best-known Finnish runners in the 1930s and also nicknamed the Flying Finn. Volmari "Vomma" Fritijof Iso-Hollo ( May 1, 1907 - June 23, 1969) was a Finnish athlete, winner of two gold The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The last Flying Finn in running was Lasse Virén, who won the 5000m and 10,000m events at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. Lasse Artturi Virén (born July 22, 1949) is a former Finnish athlete, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics and The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec

Motorsport

The nickname was next used to describe the efforts of Finnish rally drivers in the 1960s. Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Timo Mäkinen was the first driver referenced as the Flying Finn. Timo Mäkinen, born 18 March 1938, in Helsinki, Finland, was one of the original " Flying Finns " of motor Rallying In 1968, even a Castrol-produced film called "The Flying Finns" was made. Castrol is a Brand of industrial and Automotive Lubricants which is applied to a large range of Oils Greases and similar It consisted of the 1968 1000 Lakes Rally and concentrated on documenting the duel between Mäkinen and Hannu Mikkola. The Neste Oil Rally Finland (formerly known as 1000 Lakes Rally) is a rally event driven in the Jyväskylä area in Central Finland. Hannu Olavi Mikkola (born 24 May 1942 in Joensuu, Finland) is a retired world champion rally driver The term then moved on to the next generations of Finnish rally drivers, and among others, the four-time World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen were often referred to as Flying Finns. Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen ( born in Laukaa, Finland on April 2 1959, made his name principally as a rally car driver Tommi Antero Mäkinen (ˈtommi ˈmækinen is a now retired Finnish rally driver born in Puuppola, Finland near Jyväskylä in June

The first one to carry the nickname in Formula One was Leo Kinnunen. Leo Juhani "Leksa" Kinnunen (born August 5, 1943 in Tampere) is a Finnish former car racer the first Formula One driver Kinnunen had the title written on his helmet in 1970, when he won the World Sportscar Championship for Porsche. World Endurance Championship redirects here For the motorcycle endurance Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch ^[2] However, he wasn't able to turn his success in sports car racing into a successful F1 career in his underpowered Surtees. Sports car racing is a form of circuit Auto racing with Automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978 as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. Thus, Keke Rosberg became the first well-known Finn in the sport as he won the championship in 1982. Keijo Erik Rosberg ( (born 6 December 1948 in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden) nicknamed "Keke" is a Unarguably the most famous Flying Finn of the past years has been Mika Häkkinen who won the championship twice and also raced in DTM between 2005 and 2007. Mika Pauli Häkkinen ( (born September 28, 1968 in Helsingin maalaiskunta) is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters ( DTM, German Touring Car Masters is a Touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere Kimi Räikkönen replaced Häkkinen at McLaren-Mercedes in 2002, and has also been referred to as the Flying Finn. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK He was joined on the 2007 grid by fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen and would win the title himself that season. Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a racing driver.

On two wheels, the most famous Flying Finn was Jarno Saarinen, also known as "The Baron", who won the 250cc road racing World Championship as "privateer" in 1972, and finished a close second to Giacomo Agostini in the 350cc class. Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen ( December 11, 1945 in Turku, Finland – May 20, 1973 in Monza, Italy) Road racing can be a term involving Road running, road bicycle races, or Automobile races The following is a list of Grand Prix motorcycle racing FIM World Champions, from 1949 to 2007, in order of year and Engine displacement. Giacomo Agostini (born 16 June 1942 in Brescia, Lombardy) is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix Saarinen died the following year, while leading both the 250cc and 500cc championships and after competing for only three years. He remains in motorcycle sport history books for developing a new riding style, which is still predominantly in use today; body hanging off the bike with knee near the ground. Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all Sporting aspects of Motorcycling. ^[3] Mika Kallio, who finished second in the 125cc championship in 2005 and 2006, has also been nicknamed the Flying Finn. Mika Kallio (born November 8, 1982 in Valkeakoski) is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer.

Other Flying Finns

• Janne Ahonen – ski jumper
• Markku Alén – rally driver
• Marcus Grönholm – rally driver
• Mikko Hirvonen – rally driver
• Shefki Kuqi – footballer
• Jari-Matti Latvala – rally driver
• Heikki Mikkola – motocross racer
• Matti Nykänen – ski jumper
• Kalle Palander – alpine skier
• Jarno Saarinen – motorcycle racer (1945 – 1973)
• Juha Salminen – enduro rider
• Timo Salonen – rally driver
• Henri Toivonen – rally driver
• Ari Vatanen – rally driver

References

External links

• Flying Finns - Famous Finnish Rally Drivers

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