2007-12-08

Sports act of the year

The voting for the 2007 Sports Act of the Year ends tomorrow. Looking at the candidates (fi), I think there are three serious possibilities:

  • Virpi Kuitunen's three world championships and a third place in cross country skiing
  • Tero Pitkämäki's world championship in javelin
  • Kimi Räikkönen's world championship in Formula One

Kuitunen brought home three gold medals. Aside from winning in Osaka, Pitkämäki dominated his sport all summer long and has already been elected the European Male Athlete of the Year. Räikkönen scored the most high profile victory of the year - and it's not even close. I'd opt for Räikkönen, if only because the last two GPs of the season were so much fun.

Someone might vote for Teemu Selänne's Stanley Cup win, but it would be a sentimental choice. Juha Salminen's umpteen enduro world championships is a rather impressive feat, but the sport is too small for him to win.

Now watch for Tampere United fans organize to haul their team to number one.

4 comments:

egan said...

I'd be reluctant to give it to an athlete or a skier while the drug testing regime is improving. TamU shouldn't win it, but YLE should really put their greatest achievement of the season down, which was beating Levski Sofia home and away.

Grönholm should get an honourable mention for his 'Timo's in agony' interview on youtube.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ari said...

Kuitunen was of course one of the slew of Finnish skiers caught in Lahti 2001. Javelin doesn't seem like the most doping-infested sport out there, though.

Anonymous said...

Great work.