Finland competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. The Grand Duchy of Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire at the time, which allowed Finland to compete separately of Russia at the 1908 Summer Olympics due to Finland's special status. During the opening ceremony, Finland's team paraded under the national insignia flag of a Swedish-speaking female gymnastics club in Helsinki. 164 competitors, 162 men and 2 women, took part in 49 events in 10 sports.
Medalists
MedalNameSportEvent Athletics Men's 10000m Athletics Men's 5000m Athletics Men's Individual Cross country Athletics Men's Discus throw Athletics Men's two handed discus throw Athletics Men's two handed javelin throw Wrestling Greco-Roman heavyweight Wrestling Greco-Roman featherweight Wrestling Greco-Roman lightweight Jalmari Eskola Albin Stenroos Athletics Cross country Athletics Men's two handed discus throw Athletics Men's Javelin throw Athletics Men's two handed javelin throw Men's Team Gymnastics free system Men's Team Sailing 10m class Wrestling Greco-Roman heavyweight Wrestling Greco-Roman light heavyweight Athletics Men's 10000m Athletics Men's two handed javelin throw Athletics Men's two handed shot put Men's Team Sailing Men's 12m class Men's Team Sailing Men's 8m class Shooting Men's 100m running deer, single shot Nestori Toivonen Iivar Väänänen Ernst Rosenqvist Shooting Men's Team 100m running deer, single shot Wrestling Greco-Roman featherweight Wrestling Greco-Roman middleweight
Team
+ Competitors from Finland per sport Sport Men Athletics 23 Cycling 5 Diving 6 Football 15 Gymnastics 24 Rowing 6 Sailing 27 Shooting 19 Swimming 6 Wrestling 37 Total 164
Aquatics
Diving
Six divers, all men, represented Finland. It was Finland's second appearance in diving, with both of the divers who had represented the nation in 1908 returning. Toivo Aro was the only Finnish diver to advance to the finals, doing so in both of his events. His fifth-place finish in the plain high diving was Finland's best performance to date, improving upon his own sixth-place finish in the 1908 platform competition.
Rankings given are within the diver's heat.
Men
DiverEventsHeatsFinalResultRankResultRank Toivo Aro10 m platform 62.75 3 q 57.05 8Plain high dive 39.4 2 q 36.3 5 Tauno IlmoniemiPlain high dive 35 3 did not advance Kalle Kainuvaara10 m platform 48.1 7 did not advancePlain high dive 33.2 3 did not advance Albert NymanPlain high dive 32 4 did not advance Leo Suni10 m platform 48.93 9 did not advancePlain high dive 32.1 5 did not advance Oscar Wetzell3 m board 58.7 7 did not advance10 m platform 50.46 6 did not advancePlain high dive 33.8 2 did not advance
Swimming
Six swimmers, including two women, competed for Finland at the 1912 Games. It was the second time the nation had competed in swimming, in which Finland had competed each time the nation appeared independently. Aaltonen had the best finish of the Games, finishing third in his 400-metre breaststroke final to barely miss qualification for the final.
Ranks given for each swimmer are within the heat.
Men
SwimmerEventsHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank Arvo Aaltonen200 m breaststroke N/A 3:13.0 2 Q 3:17.0 6 did not advance400 m breaststroke N/A 6:48.8 2 Q 6:56.8 3 did not advance Herman Cederberg200 m breaststroke N/A 3:18.6 3 did not advance Vilhelm Lindgrén200 m breaststroke N/A 3:21.2 4 did not advance400 m breaststroke N/A 7:12.6 3 did not advance Lennart Lindroos200 m breaststroke N/A 3:16.6 3 q 3:11.6 4 did not advance400 m breaststroke N/A 7:03.0 2 Q 7:02.4 4 did not advance
Women
SwimmerEventsHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank Tyyne Järvi100 m freestyle N/A 1:42.4 5 did not advance Regina Kari100 m freestyle N/A Unknown 6 did not advance
Athletics
23 athletes represented Finland. It was the second appearance of the nation in athletics, as well as at the Olympics. The Finland athletics team finished with 6 gold medals, 4 silvers, and 3 bronzes—a great improvement over the single bronze Finland won in 1908.
Hannes Kolehmainen finished with the Olympic records in the 5000 and 10000 metres, as well as gold medals in both events and the individual cross country. Armas Taipale added another gold medal and Olympic record in the discus throw, bettering the new Olympic record that Elmer Niklander set and briefly held in the preliminary round; Taipale won a second gold in the two handed version of the discus. Julius Saaristo set an Olympic record in the javelin, though it was quickly surpassed; he finished with the silver medal. The Finns swept the medals in the two handed javelin throw, with Saaristo atop the standings.
Ranks given are within that athlete's heat for running events.
AthleteEventsHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRank Paavo AhoShot put N/A 12.40 10 did not advanceShot put N/A 23.30 6 did not advance Jalmari EskolaInd. cross country N/A 46:54.8 4 Johan HalmeTriple jump N/A 13.79 11 did not advanceJavelin throw N/A 54.65 4 did not advanceTwo hand javelin N/A 88.54 9 did not advance Efraim Harju1500 m N/A ? 4 did not advanceInd. cross country N/A did not finish Väinö HeikkiläInd. cross country N/A 54:08.0 25 Verner JärvinenDiscus throw N/A 38.60 15 did not advanceTwo hand discus N/A 66.69 12 did not advance Franz Johansson5000 m N/A 15:31.4 3 did not startInd. cross country N/A 48:03.0 11 Arne KallbergMarathon N/A did not finish Hannes Kolehmainen5000 m N/A 15:38.9 1 14:36.6 10000 m N/A 33:49.0 1 31:20.8 Ind. cross country N/A 45:15.6 Tatu Kolehmainen10000 m N/A 32:47.8 1 did not finishMarathon N/A did not finish Emil KukkoLong jump N/A 6.11 24 did not advanceJavelin throw N/A 44.66 18 did not advancePentathlon N/A Elim-4 35 12 Wilhelm KyrönenInd. cross country N/A 47:32.0 7 Arvo LaineHigh jump N/A 1.75 13 did not advance Aarne Lindholm5000 m N/A did not finish did not advanceInd. cross country N/A did not finish Jonni MyyräJavelin throw N/A 51.33 8 did not advance Elmer NiklanderShot put N/A 13.65 4 did not advanceDiscus throw N/A 42.09 4 did not advanceTwo hand shot put N/A 26.67 1 27.14 Two hand discus N/A 72.05 3 77.96 Urho PeltonenJavelin throw N/A 49.20 9 did not advanceTwo hand javelin N/A 100.24 3 Not held Lauri Pihkala800 m did not finish did not advance Julius SaaristoJavelin throw N/A 55.37 2 58.66 Two hand javelin N/A 109.42 1 Not held Väinö SiikaniemiJavelin throw N/A 52.43 5 did not advanceTwo hand javelin N/A 101.13 2 Not held Albin Steinroos10000 m N/A 33:28.4 4 32:21.8 Ind. cross country N/A 47:23.4 6 Armas TaipaleDiscus throw N/A 43.91 1 45.21 Two hand discus N/A 80.03 1 82.86 Valdemar Wickholm110 m hurdles 16.6 2 16.6 2 did not advanceDecathlon N/A 7058.795 7 Jalmari Eskola Hannes Kolehmainen Albin StenroosTeam cross country N/A 11 Efraim Harju Franz Johansson Hannes Kolehmainen Aarne Lindholm Albin Stenroos3000 m team N/A 12 2 did not advance
Cycling
Five cyclists represented Finland. It was the first appearance of the nation in cycling. Antti Raita had the best time in the time trial, the only race held, placing 6th. The four Finnish cyclists who finished had a combined time that placed them 5th of the 15 teams.
Road cycling
CyclistEventsFinalResultRank Johannes JaakonahoInd. time trial did not finish Juhani KankkonenInd. time trial 11:41:35.5 34 Antti RaitaInd. time trial 11:02:20.3 6 Wilho TilkanenInd. time trial 11:28:38.5 21 Frans VäreInd. time trial 11:21:29.2 66 Juhani Kankkonen Antti Raita Wilho Tilkanen Frans VäreTeam time trial 46:34:03.5 5
Football
First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Bronze medal match
Final rank 4th place
Gymnastics
Twenty-four gymnasts represented Finland. It was the second appearance of the nation in gymnastics, in which Finland had competed at its only prior Olympic appearance. The Finnish team placed second in the team free system event; this silver medal was Finland's best gymnastics result to date, improving upon the bronze medal the team had won in 1908.
Artistic
GymnastEventsFinalResultRank Kaarlo EkholmAll-around did not finish Karl JanssonAll-around 103.00 31 Villiam NieminenAll-around 105.75 27 Anders TamminenAll-around 90.50 37 Yrjö VuolioAll-around did not finish FinlandTeam, free system 21.85
Rowing
Six rowers represented Finland. It was the nation's first appearance in rowing.
(Ranks given are within each crew's heat.)
RowerEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Axel HaglundSingle sculls Unknown 2 did not advance Oskar Forsman Valdemar Henriksson (cox) Karl Lönnberg Johan Nyholm Emil NylundCoxed four 7:18.2 1 Q 7:12.5 2 did not advance
Sailing
Twenty seven sailors represented Finland. It was the nation's first appearance in sailing. The Finns took three medals, but were unable to a win any gold medals.
(7 points for 1st in each race, 3 points for 2nd, 1 point for 3rd. Race-off to break ties in total points if necessary for medal standings.)
SailorsEventRace 1Race 2Total Time Points Rank Time Points Rank Points Race-off Rank Ernst Estlander Torsten Sandelin Gunnar Stenbäck6 metre class 2:39:33 0 4 2:31:02 0 6 0 N/A 5 Arthur Ahnger Emil Lindh Bertil Tallberg Gunnar Tallberg Georg Westling8 metre class 2:21:03 0 5 2:14:50 3 2 3 2:27:41 Curt Andstén Jarl Andstén Carl Girsén Gustaf Estlander Bertel Juslén8 metre class 2:17:28 1 3 2:14:54 1 3 2 N/A 4 Waldemar Björkstén Jacob Björnström Bror Brenner Allan Franck Emil Lindh Adolf Pekkalainen Harry Wahl10 metre class 3:59:07 3 2 3:50:09 1 3 4 4:21:41 Max Alfthan Erik Hartvall Jarl Hulldén Sigurd Juslén Ernst Krogius Eino Sandelin Johan Silén12 metre class 3:25:45 1 3 3:48:55 1 3 2 N/A
Shooting
Nineteen shooters represented Finland. It was the nation's second appearance in shooting, in which Finland had competed each time the nation appeared at the Olympics independently. The Finns won two bronze medals in the running deer competitions—an individual medal for Toivonen and a team medal.
ShooterEventFinal Result Rank Jalo Autonen300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 776 59 Carl BacherTrap 13 45 Emil CollanTrap 38 29 Emil FabritiusTrap 11 53 Karl FazerTrap 86 12 Emil Holm300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 835 49 Robert HuberTrap 38 29 Heikki Huttunen300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 906 2550 m pistol 424 28 Lauri Kolho300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 787 57 Voitto Kolho300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 923 13 Axel Fredrik Londen100 m deer, single shots 31 15 Gustaf Nyman300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 913 19 Karl Reilin100 m deer, single shots 26 26 Ernst Rosenqvist100 m deer, single shots 32 14 Gustaf SchnittTrap 88 4 Nestori Toivonen300 m free rifle, 3 pos. did not finish100 m deer, single shots 41 Huvi Tuiskunen300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 875 39100 m deer, single shots 28 21 Iivar Väänänen100 m deer, single shots 28 21 Vilho Vauhkonen300 m free rifle, 3 pos. 870 41 Axel Fredrik Londen Ernst Rosenqvist Nestori Toivonen Iivar Väänänen100 m team deer, single shots 123 Carl Bacher Emil Collan Karl Fazer Robert Huber Axel Fredrik Londen Gustaf SchnittTeam clay pigeons 233 5 Emil Holm Heikki Huttunen Voitto Kolho Gustaf Nyman Huvi Tuiskunen Vilho VauhkonenTeam free rifle 5323 5
Wrestling
Greco-Roman
Finland, competing independently in the Olympics for the second time, sent 37 wrestlers for its second Olympic wrestling appearance. The country was the most successful in the sport, taking seven of 15 medals. The Finns took the top spot in four of the five weight classes (three gold medals and a silver in the class in which no gold was awarded). They compiled a record of 118–64 (112-58 excluding matches pitting two Finnish wrestlers against each other) in the elimination rounds and 8-5-1 (6-3-1 against non-Finns) in the medal rounds.
Koskelo and Väre were the best performers, cruising through their respective weight classes without losses to take gold medals.