Finland wins three medals at ski-flying world championships

Finland's ski-jumpers took home three medals from the ski-flying world championships that were held in Slovenia on the Planica hill over the weekend: Janne Ahonen won the silver medal in the individual competition, with Tami Kiuru taking the bronze. In Sunday's first-ever ski-flying world championship team event, the Finnish team of Ahonen, Kiuru, Matti Hautamäki and Veli-Matti Lindström jumped to second place behind Norway, with Austria taking the bronze. The Norwegian team, coached by Finn Mika Kojonkoski, denied Finland the gold in both events, as Roar Ljökelsöy clinched the world title in the individual competition. The total effort of the Finnish team was excellent in the individual competition, which included four rounds of jumps during Friday and Saturday: Hautamäki finished seventh, and Lindström eighth. Hautamäki holds the world record of 231.5 metres in this specific sub-discipline of ski-jumping. Kiuru was in the lead before the fourth and final jumps of the individual competition after a 220-metre jump that earned him a full twenty points from three of the five judges. However, he managed only 191.5 metres in the final round, dropping to third place. Finland led Norway by 3.8 points before the last jumps of the team competition. Norway's anchor Ljökelsöy flew to 225 metres, putting pressure on Ahonen. The Finn managed only 217.5 metres, and Finland lost the gold by 7.7 points.