Four Finnish medallists from the 1974 European Athletics Championships have made an emotional return to the scene of their triumphs ahead of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships.
Riitta Salin, Pirjo Häggman, Marika Eklund and Nina Holmen returned to visit the Stadio Olimpico for a television documentary and ahead of the next edition of the Roma 2024, scheduled for 7-12 June.
Fifty years ago, Salin, Häggman and Eklund together with Mona-Lisa Pursiainen made up the Finnish team that won silver in the women’s 4x400 relay behind East Germany. Salin also won gold in the 400m individual race, while Holmen triumphed in the 3000m final and Pursianen took bronze in the 200m.
Completing the great rise of the Finnish female movement was Pirkko Helenius with her bronze medal won in the long jump for an overall haul of five medals.
A new generation
The Nordic nation will be targeting a return to glory in Roma 2024, with Topi Raitanen (men’s 3000m steeplechase) and Wilma Murto (women’s pole vault) defending their titles.
Rising stars such as multi-eventer Saga Vanninen, who won silver in the pentathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 in March and Silja Kosonen, the reigning European U23 champion in the women’s hammer, will be looking to stand on the medal podium in Rome.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics