Lasse Viren during the Opening Ceremony of the 10th IAAF World Championships (© Getty Images)
Helsinki, FinlandOn a day of particularly stormy weather in the Finnish capital it was appropriate that a man from a countryside athletics club called ‘Myrskylän Myrsky’, in English ‘Stormville Stormers’ should be holding court in front of over 50 journalists at the Töölönranta Restaurant. Appropriately, as well, this was also the day of the men’s 10,000m final at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
The club member was of course Lasse Viren, four-time Olympic champion (5000/10,000m) and three-time World record holder, currently the last global senior winning member of the line of runners known worldwide as “The Flying Finns”.
Finnish Javelins of course still fly long distances these days, and their field event athletes remain world class but in world terms their male distance runners have lost contact with the elite, just as they did for a decade in the 1960s.
Where did all the European’s go?
The difference in this particular era is that now the whole of Europe has joined them in this sorry state.
“Where are the Finns? Yes, but also, where are the distance runners from the rest of Europe too?” This was Viren’s answer to the question of what has happened to this famous line of Finnish running champions. Between them, Finnish runners have won seven 5000m, seven 10,000m, four Steeplechase, three 1500m and two Olympic Marathon gold medals.
“Finland Arise”
Viren, 56 years of age, a Member of the Finnish Parliament, remains a national icon. But there was some controversy in Finland more than a decade ago when a statue was erected in his honour outside the Olympic stadium, close to another monument to an even more famous ‘Flying Finn’, nine times Olympic champion, Paavo Nurmi.
Why? Well, in Finland statues are commonly only erected to mark the life-time achievements of those who have already died. Also, given that he is now a politician, many believed that the positioning of such a life sized recognition of his achievements in bronze, so close to the national stadium, would be like giving Viren a publicity head-start in any election he ever contested.
Sporting success about guarantees a political career in Finland, and in athletics circles alone, Viren is joined by Arto Bryggare (1983 World silver and 1984 Olympic 110mH bronze), Sari Essayah (1993 World and 1994 European Race Walk champion), Antti Kalliomäki (1976 Olympic Pole Vault silver medallist), and Finnish Federation President and IAAF Council Member Ilkka Kanerva, as Members of the Finnish Parliament.
Knowing a good thing, when Viren was first elected to Parliament, he shrewdly placed on his election literature a photograph of the moment when he got up from the track after his famous fall in the 1972 Olympic 10,000m final. Accompanying it was the slogan “Finland Arise”, as his campaign motto. Viren of course went on to win the gold in a World record in 1972, and of course duly got elected to Parliament in 1999.
They lack belief
However, at yesterday’s press conference, the central concern of the assembled journalists was, would Europe ever be able to compete with the Africans again at the longer distances?
“It is more of a mental thing with the European runners,” confirmed Viren. “If you believe you can win, anyone can win. With most non-African born runners they just don’t believe anymore.”
Looking at both the composition and the finishing times of last night’s 10,000m final, Viren’s point is clearly made. Firstly, out of a field of 23, there were only 2 Europeans represented, and though the pace was hardly slow, the winning time of 27:08.33, is within the credible reach of even a European born runner. “There is always a possibility to win in these non-rabbit (non-paced) races,” said Viren.
The Finn who finished fifth in the Olympic marathon of 1976, after having retained his 5000m /10,000m titles at those Games in Montreal, so coming close to matching the 1952 feat of Czech Emil Zatopek in Helsinki, was also keen to point out that the task of running these distance races at the Olympics was easier than in his day.
“It should be easier. There are no semi-finals in the 10,000m nowadays, so there is one less race for everyone to run.
For “Milk”, read “Urine”
Finland has won a total of 49 track and field Olympic gold medals, and in this rich athletics culture many interesting myths have grown up around these legends. One of these stories was finally put to rest yesterday and regarded the famous statement which Viren made at the Montreal Olympics, that the secret of his strength as a distance runner was because of all the reindeer milk he drank.
Viren had made the comment as a joke, having remembered the words of a Finnish team captain a few years before, when also in jest he had responded to the question, of how it had been possible for the Finnish team to beat Germany in an athletics match, given the difference in the size of each country’s populations.
The comment however, had actually been, it was because of all the ‘Reindeer URINE’ that Finnish athletes drank. However, when Viren remembered and repeated the same answer, the press conference moderator in Montreal, either out of incompetence or embarrassment translated it as “reindeer MILK.” Perhaps if the translation had been correct at the time, the statement would have been easier understood as a joke!
Chris Turner for the IAAF
