KARHU

1916-1930

Karhu börjar sin resa framåt. De första produkterna inkluderar spjut och diskusar.

1930-1960

Karhu dominerar vid Olympiska Spelen i Helsingfors år 1952 och hjälper till med vinsten av 22 medaljer. Senare samma år säljer Karhu sitt trademark “three stripes” till ett idag mycket känt sportföretag. Priset för detta var två flaskor fin whisky och 1600 euros.

1960-1980

The Flying Finn, den flygande finländaren, Olavi Suomalainen, vinner 1972 års upplaga av Boston Marathon i Karhu Champion skor. Just den här modellen säljs i över en miljon runt om i världen.

1980-2000

I ett samarbete med universitetet i Jyväskylä utvecklar Karhu Fulcrumteknologin: startblocket för en löpares framåtrotation. Med hjälp av tester och utveckling vid universitetet introduceras år 2008 en ny Fulcrum och resultaten visar att skor från Karhu ger en mätbar skillnad.

2000-Idag

Under nytt ägarskap vinner den första nya kollektionen tre stora skopriser: Karhu Strong Fulcrum ride vinner Runner's World Bästa Debut herrsko, Karhu Fast Fulcrum ride vinner Women's Runnings Bästa Passform Damsko, och Karhu Forward Fulcrum ride vinner Women’s Running Performance/Racing.

FINNISH ATHLETICS: FLYING AND THROWING

Finnish Glory

In the words of Britain’s double Olympic 1500m champion Sebastian Coe - "Many western nations have their strong athletic traditions. France and Belgium have had their long distance men, Italy her sprinters, Great Britain her middle distance record breakers. All have their idols, their occasional and ecstatically received gold medals, and their frequent but vain attempts down the field. None, though, with all their human resources, has the sheer will to win that characterizes Finland.”

"The Finns themselves ascribe it to something they call "SISU", some combination of pride and stubbornness and guts. To a Finn with more than his fair share of Sisu, all concepts but winning seem to disappear, all temptation to compromise is resisted, and he becomes twice the competitor, twice the opponent"

Finnish athletes during the 20th century helped to define the pride and passion of what it is to be a Finn. The average Finn doesn't care that their neighbors’ and former colonial masters, Sweden and Russia are so much bigger, the demographic and geographic statistics cannot be changed, as on the Olympic roll of honor it is tiny Finland which has had the greatest triumphs.

Track & Field is the most international of all sports. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has more member nations - 211 - than the United Nations. Yet despite the universality of the sport, Finland with a population of only five million, about the size of greater London, has won more men's track & field gold medals - 48 titles - than any other nation in the world with the exception of the USA. Yes, Finnish male athletes have won more Olympic athletics titles than the men of Britain, Germany, or even Russia.

Athletics is a religion to the Finns. The Olympics and Finnish success within them is the embodiment of what it means to be a Finn, and it is not too extreme to say that the Finns really are the Olympics 'chosen people'.

Written and published by Chris Turner. Copyright C.J. Turner 1996.