Fin v Swe v Ger

Sweden defeatS Germany and finland in the historical match

Hitler began plotting an attack on the Soviet Union in July 1940. At the same time, relations between Germany and Finland began to warm. As a hint of the changing political situation, Germany was added as a guest to the Finland-Sweden international match in early September 1940.

Good start for the hosts, a new European record for Storskrubb

The match started well for the Finns, as Bertel Storskrubb set a new European record with a time of 53.2 in the 400 metres hurdles, placing third in the world rankings for 1940. Although the level of performance in Europe began to decline due to the war, athletics in America continued unabated, and statistical results still held some significance.

Dr. Harald Mellerowicz, a sports medicine doctor by profession, crushed Olympic finalist Lennart Strandberg of Sweden in the 100m. More German victories came in the long jump, where pole vaulter (!) and future doctor Rudolf Glötzer leapt to a record-setting 7.37m (24-2 1/4). Olympic champion Hans Woellke, who was killed by partisans in Belarus in 1943, easily won the shot put with a throw of 16.06m (52-8 1/4). However, this only placed him 10th in the world rankings.

The future dominance of the Swedes in middle and long-distance events began to show. Åke Spångert (Jansson) and Arne Andersson secured an easy one-two victory in the European mile. In the 5000 metres, Gunder Hägg and Henry Kälarne (Jonsson) were in control. Taisto Mäki, who had set world records before the Winter War, was a shadow of his former self and finished fifth.

Rudolf Harbig, the record holder in the 400 meters (46.0) and 800 meters (1:46.6) and a party member, took a routine victory in the 400 metres with a time of 47.9 seconds. Four years later, he fell in Ukraine under unclear circumstances.

After the first day, Germany led the athletics match with 75 points, followed by Sweden with 69 points and Finland with 67.

Sweden dominates at the beginning of the second day

Finland entered the second day of the match as the pursuer. Over 50,000 spectators flocked to the stadium to watch the competitions. The cream of the republic witnessed the contests from the VIP box.

Future European champion Håkan Lidman from Sweden breezed through the hurdles in 14.4 seconds, securing victory points for Sweden. Väinö Suvivuo suffered a moderate loss, returning to the stadium 12 years later for the Helsinki Olympics.

The Swedish celebrations continued in the non-existent discus cage, where Gunnar Bergh threw to victory with a score of 47.91m (157-2 1/4). Future double Olympic finalist Veikko Nyqvist from Finland was still in the junior league at the age of 24, so he settled for residual points.

Rajasaari, still in top form

European champion Onni Rajasaari, who broke the 16-year-old national record of Vilho Tuulos in 1939, leaped to his season's best with the hop, step and jump, reaching 15.22 metres (50-11) and outshining the rest of the competitors. If the Helsinki Olympics had been held in 1940, the man from Hanko, occupied by the Red Army in 1940, would have entered the competition ranked third in the previous season's statistics and second in merit rankings.

Eero Lähdesmäki, who lost his life in a car accident during the Continuation War, defeated Germany's champion and future gynecologist Glötzner in the pole vault, who had already claimed victory in the long jump the previous day. Unfortunately, the film crew missed the target as the lad from Kemi made his leap. Lähdesmäki's tough South Ostrobothnian competitor from domestic fields, Aulis Reinikka, landed himself in third place.

Germans tactically maneuvered in the 800 meters. Hans Brandtscheidt led the way in the first lap. Record holder Harbig followed in his wake and sealed the deal in the second lap. Aarne Kainlauri, who lived to be 104 years old, sprinted to fourth place.

Finland's long-distance runners had suffered due to geopolitical shifts. The level of 1939 was merely a memory. Veikko Tuominen, who fell in the Continuation War, finished third in the 10,000 meters, while Evert Heinström, who collapsed due to heat at the London Olympics, dropped one notch lower. Sweden's athletics Stora Grabbars number 96 Bror Hellström defeated perhaps somewhat surprisingly the German top runner Max Syring, who led the 1940 world rankings.

Stick of Järvinen still flies

Despite wartime conditions in Finland, the javelin continued to fly. Matti Järvinen, selected as the top-ranked athlete in this event in the 1940 merit ranking, hurled the spear to figures entitling to victory in the match with 73.79 metres (242-2). Yrjö Nikkanen, who won silver in Olympic and European Championships, was second in this competition as well.

European champion Lars Larsson surged to victory in the steeplechase. With Erik Arwidsson finishing second, Sweden began to pull ahead in the match. C.G.E. Mannerheim's expressions in the VIP box started to become less sunny.

Mellerowicz, born in the current territory of Poland, emerged as the double winner of the match, as the German also won the half lap race on the second day. The previous day, he had already secured victory in the 100 meters. Nils Kronqvist from Vaasa, who collected five Finnish championship titles in the 100 metres, raced to third place. In later years, Antti Rajamäki from the neighboring municipality of Karijoki almost reached the same number of Finnish championship victories and shared the record.

Germany convincingly won the long relay. As the team made their exchange, someone snapped a photograph, which ended up on the cover of a Finnish magazine, Suomen Kuvalehti.

Sweden won the three-country match ahead of Germany and Finland. Even in separate matches against Sweden, the Finns faced defeat, which did not contribute to lifting the already melancholic mood prevailing in Finland between the Winter War and the Continuation War.

The media frenzy surrounding the match was exceptionally intense in Finland. Perhaps the state authorities tacitly encouraged it. The film crew worked tirelessly at the stadium, and newspapers churned out stories of monumental proportions. Dr. Martti Jukola provided live commentary of the matches on the radio in Finland starting both days at 2:30 PM.

Footage

Film (Elonet)

Results

Newspaper and online stories

Hufvudstadsbladet, September 8, 1940 (in Swedish)
Hufvudstadsbladet, September 9, 1940 (in Swedish)
University of Helsinki, November 23, 2013 (in Finnish)
Seura, February 9, 2015 (in Finnish)

Other material

Original poster

Photo: Väinö Uomala, Museovirasto (CC BY 4.0).

Photo: Hufvudstadsbladet, September 9, 1940.

Statistics

Tilastopaja

More statistics

Most points, 1925-1940 (relays not included)

1 Sten Pettersson SWE 100m 200m 400m 110mH 25 27 29 31 34
2 Vilho Tuulos FIN LJ TJ 25 27 29 22
3 Henry Lindblad SWE PV 25 27 29 31 19

4= Erik Byléhn SWE 400m 800m 25 27 29 18
4= Antero Kivi FIN DT 25 27 29 31 18

6= Armas Wahlstedt (Valste) FIN HJ SP 25 27 29 31 18

6= Bertel Storskrubb FIN 400m 400mH 39 40 18

6= Lennart Strandberg SWE 100m 200m 39 40 18

6= Matti Järvinen FIN JT 29 31 39 40 18

Most points by event, 1925-1940 (relays not included)

100m

1 Ilmari Helle FIN 25 27 29 11

2 Lennart Strandberg SWE 39 40 8

2= Erkki Koponen FIN 29 31 6

2= Sten Pettersson SWE 25 27 6

200 m

1 Lennart Strandberg SWE 39 40 10

2 Sten Pettersson SWE 25 27 8

3 Erik Åström FIN 25 27 7

400 m

1 Erik Åström FIN 25 27 10

2 Bertel Storskrubb FIN 39 40 8

3= Sten Hammargen SWE 29 5

3= Börje Strandvall FIN 31 5

3= Per-Olof Edfeldt SWE 39 5

800 m

1 Erik Byléhn SWE 25 27 29 15

2 Harri Larva (Lagerström) FIN 27 31 8

3 Lennart Nilsson SWE 39 40 7

1500 m

1 Eino Purje (Borg) FIN 27 31 10

2= Harri Larva (Lagerström) FIN 27 29 8

2= Arne Andersson SWE 39 40 8

2= Åke Jansson (Spångert) SWE 39 40 8

5000m

1 Nils Eklöf SWE 25 27 7

2 Taisto Mäki FIN 39 40 6

3 Henry Jonsson (Kälarne) SWE 39 40 6

10,000 m

1 Paavo Nurmi FIN 25 31 10

2= Toivo Loukola FIN 29 5

2= Kalle Matilainen FIN 27 5

2= Taisto Mäki FIN 39 5

2= Bror Hellström SWE 40 5

3000 m steeplechase

1 Lars Larsson SWE 39 40 8

2 Volmari Iso-Hollo FIN 39 5

3 Erik Arwidsson SWE 40 3

110 m hurdles

1 Sten Pettersson SWE 25 27 29 31 17

2 Eric Wennström SWE 27 29 31 11

3 Håkan Lidman SWE 39 40 10

400 m hurdles

1 Bertel Storskrubb FIN 39 40 10

2 Erkki Virta FIN 39 40 5

3 Sixten Larsson SWE 39 40 4

High jump

1 Karl Karlsson SWE 25 29 10

2 Armas Wahlstedt (Valste) FIN 25 27 29 9

3 Lauri Kalima FIN 39 40 7

Pole vault

1 Henry Lindblad SWE 25 27 29 31 18

2 Eero Lähdesmäki FIN 39 40 10

3 Birger Andersson SWE 29 31 6

Long jump

1 Olle Hallberg SWE 25 27 29 13

2 Stig Håkansson SWE 39 40 8

3 Vilho Tuulos FIN 25 27 7

Triple jump

1 Vilho Tuulos FIN 25 27 29 15

2 Onni Rajasaari FIN 39 40 10

3 Eric Svensson SWE 31 5

Shot put

1 Kalle Järvinen FIN 27 29 31 12

2 Armas Wahlstedt (Valste) FIN 27 29 31 9

3= Bertil Jansson SWE 25 27 7

3= Gunnar Bergh SWE 39 40 7

Discus throw

1 Antero Kivi FIN 25 27 29 31 18

2 Gunnar Bergh SWE 39 40 10

3 Vilho Niittymaa FIN 25 27 7

Hammer throw

1 Ossian Skiöld SWE 25 27 29 31 16

2 Uuno Veirilä FIN 39 40 10

3= Carl Johan Lind SWE 25 27 8

3= Ville Pörhölä FIN 29 31 8

Javelin throw

1 Matti Järvinen FIN 29 31 39 40 18

2 Eino Penttilä FIN 27 29 31 13

3 Gunnar Lindström SWE 25 27 29 31 11

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