Helsinki Sports & Outdoors

Helsinki is a host to World Championships in athletics 6-14 August 2005. Ticket prices range from 18 € to 305 €.

It has estimated that there's over 4 billion TV viewers in 180 countries, more than 3000 team members from 200 countries, approximately 3000 volunteers, 3500 media representatives and 5000-20000 foreign tourists. It's the biggest ever sport event in Finland.

Tram lines 4 and 10 operate between the city centre and the Olympic Stadium.

Helsinki hosted the first World Championships in Athletics in 1983.

Here is a hint for all you crazy sports addicts who go on holiday and cannot be without sports abroad.

This is a multifunctional sports arena (indoors) in eastern Helsinki called Liikuntamylly. Entrace is 2e and includes any activity in the big hall.

Starting with a climbing wall, gym machines, two rooms for wrestling and budo, 200m 6-lane tracks (round), several basketball and floorball fields and lots more...

Equipment: Some equipment are handed out against a small fee.

Soccer Action at the Pohjola Stadium:
I had the chance to see the match AC Allianssi vs MyPa of the Finnish top division on June 15, 2003. Before the match, Allianssi headed the table and MyPa ranked 5th.

MyPa sports a very interesting player: Ryan Botha. He definetely looks a lot like David Beckham - as you can judge by looking at the picture I took of Ryan during the match.

He scored two lovely goals in the match and his team won this away game 4-1. Unlike Beckham, Ryan plays on the left side and he usually uses his left foot for shooting. An excellent player, he was voted MVP on that day!

There are quite plenty of cross-country skiing possibilities in Helsinki region. It may be bit difficult to find them so here is how I understand it. In Helsinki, check out the following link: http://www.hel.fi/liv/lajit/latukartat.html and select the link for the location which you are interested in. The links called Itä-Helsinki and Länsi-Helsinki show all the tracks in east and west-Helsinki, respectively. The red tracks stand for illuminated tracks where the blue ones are meant only for daylight use.

In Espoo, check out the link http://www.espoo.fi/binary.asp?page=39380&field=Image for similar map. The colors have the same meaning. Sorry about the link length but it wasn't easy to find.

The beach (also known as 'Hietsu') is one of the few sandy beaches located near the centre of the town. It is rather disappointing place if you expect fine golden sand since the sand on the main beach is mainly coarse whereas some fine sand has been brought over to the part of the beach where local beach volley ball club has set up its beach volley ball nets.

The beach is nevertheless very popular and gets extremely crowded if the weather's nice.

There are lifeguards on the beach provided by the local council during the summer months (usually from early June to mid-August). They are frequently manning the beach between 10am and 6pm. They will also be able to provide you with volley ball nets if you've got your own ball.

Between early May and the end of September there should be access to indoor dressing rooms, which are pretty decent. However, bear in mind that the toilets can get pretty manky. Showers are situated outdoors.

Facilities
Basket ball and beach-volley field, play ground for children, cafe (open daily between 10am and 6pm)

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On a hot day (yes, they do happen) Hietaniemi beach, which many local people call Hietsu, is a good and central destination to spend the day. The beach is clean, sandy and long/wide enough not to get too crowded. It is located in the Töölö district, next to the Hietaniemi Cemetery. We found the water shallow and very refreshing; we enjoyed our day very much. For the better swimmers there’s an island not far from the shore.

Equipment: Theoretically Hietaniemi beach has many facilities, including toilets, changing rooms and cafes – but when we were there (August 2010) only one place was open, and played very loud music. So take along a towel, a swimsuit and something to eat/drink.

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The Swimming Stadium (also known as "Stadika" among the residents), features a 50m heated (+30C) outdoor pool. It is a popular lane swimming place for sporty as well well as not so sporty types who prefer to top up their tans. The outdoor complex also features a pool for children, diving boards and diving platforms. The changing rooms (separate facilities for men and women), showers and saunas are conveniently located indoors.

Bermudas are strictly brohibited, so bring your speedos or hire some at the tills at the entrance

Open from the beginning of May to the beginning of September
Mon - Sat 06.30 - 20.00
Sun 9.00 - 20.00

Admission to the pool
Adults €3,40 (10 tickets €30)
Children over 7 years, students, pensioners, ISIC Card Holders €1,70 (10 tickets €15)
Children under 7 free
Water slides are open between 4 June and 12 August (Half a day €6)

It is possible to hire swimming suits and swimming trousers (€2), towels (€2), small towels sit sit on in the sauna (€0,50) and soap (€0,50)

Small cafe
Disabled access

You can also visit the gym and play table tennis, volley ball, basket ball and beach volley in the same building.

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We had spotted there was a game between Klubi 04 and PK35 at the Finnair Stadium in the second tier of Finnish football so, guaranteed a visit by us. Saw Klubi in a previous incarnation as FC Jokerit play a UEFA cup game in Budapest several years ago before they were taken over by the giants of Finnish football HJK and, I guess, used as a feeder team.
We duly arrived at the Finnair stadium a little before kick off to find it in darkness, the only signs of life on the apparent training pitch at the side. This is where the game took place, Mrs B rightly refusing to cough up 10euros to watch when a perfectly adequate view was to be had from outside, many others having the same idea.
Stayed to watch most of the first half, little to report on, mostly youngsters in a meaningless end-of-season fixture by the look of things.
For the record a 2-1 victory for the home side was the outcome.
Last 2 photos of the "real" Finnair stadium taken earlier on a visit to the nearby Olympic stadium.