Over 30 pairs competed in final day of annual Wife Carrying World Championship, in the Finnish town of Sonkajärvi, on Saturday, 1st July 2023. The participants were seen running while carrying their wives on their back, trying to cross obstacles such as a small pond and tree logs. This year, the gold was once again taken by the Finnish couple Taisto Miettinen and Katja Kovanen, who have won the competition multiple times in the past. Two-time champions Vytautas Kirkliauska and Neringa Kirkliauskiene from Lithuania had to settle again for silver, while Finnish Seppo Somerharju and Sonja Ahonen earned bronze. The Wife Carrying World Championships have been held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland, since 1992.
Taisto Miettinen ja Katja Kovanen voittivat Eukonkannon maailmanmestaruuden 1.7.2023 Sonkajärvellä käydyissä MM-kilpailuissa. Erittäin tiukassa kisassa toiseksi sijoittui liettualaispari Vytautas Kirkliauskas ja Neringa Kirkliauskiene. Kolmanneksi tulivat Seppo Somerharju ja Sonja Ahonen Hyvinkäältä. Kauniaislaiselle Miettiselle kyseessä on jo kahdeksas Eukonkannon maailmanmestaruus. ”Tuntuu todella hyvältä. Sää on kylmä, mutta voitto lämmittää sydäntä”, Katja Kovanen totesi kilpailun jälkeen.
PORTER DE FEMMES
La Finlande est bien une terre de championnats du monde insolites. Le principe est de porter sa compagne sur ses épaules le plus rapidement possible sur une distance donnée. À l’instar de n’importe quel autre sport, il existe plusieurs techniques comme le porté à l’estonienne, consistant à enlacer les épaules du porteur avec ses jambes. Étant un sport finlandais, les Mondiaux se disputent tous les ans dans ce pays. Le couple finlandais Taisto Miettinen et Katja Kovanen a conservé leur titre mondial acquis en 2022, lequel avait mis fin à la domination lituanienne du couple Vytautas Kirkliauskas et Neringa Kirkliauskine.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_...
hosts: Pertti Sirkka and Olavi Rytkönen
interviewer: Saara Närä
Thank you for the organization of the event, Sonkajärven Eukonkanto Oy, and the press team!
video and editing: Tapio Lehtinen
email: tapio_l@outlook.com
PayPal.Me/tapiolehtinen
CHAPTERS/TIME STAMPS
0:00 Spoiler Alert
0:46 "Welcome" by the hosts
1:13 Competition Begins
07:13 Third place: Seppo Somerharju
08:30 Winner of Senior Competition: John Lund
20:38 Second place: Vytautas Kirkliauskas
29:27 Winner: Taisto Miettinen
31:28 Results
31:52 Winners Interview (Finnish) by Olli
32:45 Winners Interview (Finnish) by Saara
TULOKSET/RESULTS
YLEINEN Pääsarja / The Main Series 0,2535 km
1. Taisto MIettinen, Katja Kovanen, Suomi, Finland 1:06.47
2. Vytautas Kirkliauskas, Neringa Kirkliauskiene, Liettua, Lithuania 1:06.82
3. Seppo Somerharju, Sonja Ahonen, Suomi, Finland 1:11.49
4. Tilmann Schwab, Alexandra Sommerfeld, Saksa, Germany 1:15.30
5. Elliot Storey, Giana Storey, Yhdysvallat, USA 1:15.93
MN40 Ikämiesarja / Senior Competition
1. John Lund, Stefanie Weisseisen, Suomi, Finland - Yhdysvallat, USA 1:14.17
2. Janno Sild, Anu Sild, Viro, Estonia 1:40.53
3. Miika Rantanen, Tuija Lahtinen, Suomi, Finland 1:56.54
THE RULES OF WIFE CARRYING
The length of the official track is 253.5 meters and surface of the track is sand. The track has two dry obstacles and one water obstacle, about a meter deep.The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbor's or you may have found her farther ahead; she must, however, be over 17 years of age. The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilos. If she weighs less, she will be burdened with such a heavy rucksack to reach the desired minimum weight.
The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier. Competitors are not allowed to wear high heels or any other shoes that may cause injuries. Also using tape is forbidden. Competitors' footwear will be checked before the race. If a contestant drops the wife, he has to lift her on to his back or in his arms and continue carrying. All the participants must have fun. The winner is the couple who completes the course in the shortest time. The contestants run the race two at a time, so each heat is a contest in itself.
WIFE CARRYING SENIOR COMPETITION
Rules are the same as above, but the carrier must be 40 years or older.