Finland at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

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Finland at the
1972 Summer Paralympics
Flag of Finland.svg
IPC code FIN
NPC Finnish Paralympic Committee
Website www.paralympia.fi/en
in Heidelberg
Competitors 24 in 5 sports
Medals
Ranked 28th
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
1
Total
3
Summer Paralympics appearances

Finland competed at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg. It was the country's third participation in the Paralympics, and it sent a significantly larger delegation than for the previous Games. In 1960 and in 1968, it had been represented by a single athlete; for the Heidelberg Games, it sent 24 athletes (20 men and 4 women) to compete in five sports: archery, athletics, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting. This was the first time Finnish women had competed at the Paralympics. [1]

Finland Republic in Northern Europe

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland is a country in Northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Norway to the north, Sweden to the northwest, and Russia to the east. Finland is a Nordic country and is situated in the geographical region of Fennoscandia. The capital and largest city is Helsinki. Other major cities are Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Oulu and Turku.

1972 Summer Paralympics

The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.

Heidelberg Place in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Heidelberg is a university town in Baden-Württemberg situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. In the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, with roughly a quarter of its population being students.

Contents

Finns won two silver medals and one bronze, all in swimming. Matti Launonen swam in the men's 25m backstroke (category 1A). There were four competitors. Launonen finished in 46s, fast enough for silver; Great Britain's A. West (full name not recorded) took gold with a world record time of 40.6s. Finland's other medallist was Risto Liuska . In the men's 25m breaststroke (category 2), he was one of sixteen competitors. He was second fastest in the heats, in 26.3s, and advanced to the final, which he swam in 26.4s - just ahead of the Netherlands' Gerrit Pomp (26.8s). Great Britain's D. Ellis took gold with a world record time of 25.5s. In the men's 25m backstroke (category 2), Liuska was one of nineteen competitors. He finished third overall in the heats, in 26.4s, and advanced to the final, where a slower time of 27.4s was just enough to see off Ellis (27.9s) for bronze. Eric Boulter of Australia took gold in 25.4s, in a tight contest with Pomp (25.5s). [2]

Swimming at the 1972 Summer Paralympics consisted of 56 events, 28 for men and 28 for women.

Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Great Britain sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. Teams from the nation are referred to by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as Great Britain despite athletes from the whole of the United Kingdom, including those from Northern Ireland, being eligible. They sent seventy two competitors, forty seven male and twenty five female. The team won fifty-two medals—sixteen gold, fifteen silver and twenty-one bronze—to finish third in the medal table behind West Germany and the United States. Philip Craven, the former President of the IPC, competed in athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball for Great Britain at these Games.

Netherlands at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Netherlands competed at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. The team included 39 athletes, 26 men and 13 women. Competitors from Netherlands won 38 medals, including 14 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze to finish 5th in the medal table.

Although Liuska competed only in swimming, Launonen also entered events in athletics and table tennis. He competed in the javelin (finishing 27th and last in category 2, with a throw of 5.70m) and in the shot put (coming 11th out of 15 in category 1A, with a throw of 2.30m). In table tennis (1A), he entered the men's singles, and was eliminated 0:2 by Hans Rosenast of Switzerland in the first round. [2]

Switzerland at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Switzerland sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent thirty six competitors, thirty two male and four female.

Medallists

MedalNameSportEvent
Matti Launonen Swimming Men's 25 metre backstroke 1A
Risto Liuska Swimming Men's 25 metre breaststroke 2
Risto Liuska Swimming Men's Men's 25 metre backstroke 2

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Finland at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
  2. 1 2 Finland at the 1972 Summer Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
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