World Sauna Championships

{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2010}}

The championships began with preliminary rounds and ended in the finals, where the best six men and women would see who could sit in the sauna the longest. The starting temperature in the men's competition was 110 °C (230 °F). Half a litre of water was poured on the stove every 30 seconds. The winner was the last person to stay in the sauna and walk out without outside help. The host country usually dominated the event, as only one foreign competitor ever made it into the finals in the men's competition. The first non-Finnish winner in the women's competition was Natallia Tryfanava from Belarus in 2003. Timo Kaukonen was a five-time mens champion, winning every year from 2005 to 2009.{{Cite news |date=2007-08-07 |title=Finns sweat it out for sauna titles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-phoenix-finns-sweat-it-out-for-saun/155712161/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=Star-Phoenix |pages=27}} There were no prizes except for "some small things," according to organizer. One year, Timo Kaukonen received special speakers designed for home saunas.

• The starting temperature is 110 degrees Celsius. Half a litre of water will be poured on the stove every 30 seconds.
• Use of alcohol is prohibited prior to and during the competition.
• Competitors must wash themselves beforehand, and remove any creams and lotions.
• Competitor must sit erect, their buttocks and thighs on the bench.
• Ordinary swimsuits must be used. Pant legs in men's swimsuits may be up to 20 centimetres long, and women's shoulder straps may be up to 5 centimetres wide.
• Hair that reaches the shoulders must be tied into a ponytail.
• Touching the skin and brushing is prohibited.
• Competitors must not disturb each other.
• At the request of the judges, competitors must show that they are in their senses with a thumbs up.
• Competitors must be able to leave the sauna unaided to qualify.
• A breach of the rules results in a warning. Another one results in disqualification.
• The last person leaving the sauna unaided is the winner.

In 2004, Nippon Television filmed a documentary about the World Sauna Championships. The program had an audience of about 40 million in Japan. The network did a similar documentary again in 2007, when they filmed a whole week in Heinola and in Lahti. This time Kazumi Morohoshi (former singer in a popular boy band Hikaru Genji) was with them and also took part in the competition. He ended in the first round, with a time of 5:41. Also in 2007, American sportswriter Rick Reilly (who described it as "quite possibly the world's dumbest sport") was also in Heinola. His time in the first round was 3:10, and he was eliminated from the second round.{{cite web

|title=Sports from Hell: Hot Boxed

|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=5198604

|author=Rick Reilly

|work=ESPN.com

|date=2010-05-19

}}

On 7 August 2010, two competitors were removed from the sauna and brought to the hospital in critical condition after six minutes of {{convert|110|C|abbr=on}} heat, both suffering from serious burns and trauma. Russian finalist and former third-place finisher Vladimir Ladyzhensky, an amateur wrestler, was dragged out, suffering from convulsions, burns, and blisters.{{Cite news |date=2010-08-09 |title=Russian dies in sauna contest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator-russian-dies-in-s/155711979/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=The Hamilton Spectator |pages=8}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=5451867 |title=The point of no return |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107233501/https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=5451867| archive-date=7 January 2023|first=Rick |last=Reilly |work=ESPN|url-status=live |date=11 August 2010}} Ladyzhensky died despite resuscitation. Finnish five-time champion Timo Kaukonen was, according to a spectator, able to leave the sauna with assistance.{{cite web | url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Surviving+sauna+finalist+Timo+Kaukonen+overcomes+serious+injuries/1135261187407 | title=Surviving sauna finalist Timo Kaukonen overcomes serious injuries | first=Jussi | last=Pullinen | work=Helsingin Sanomat |date=23 October 2010 | accessdate=6 December 2011}} He was reported to suffer from extreme burn injuries and his condition was described as critical but stable.

{{cite web|title=Finalist dies at World Sauna event in Finland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10904691 |date=2010-08-08 |work=BBC News Online

}}

{{cite web |title=Polisen misstänker inget brott i VM i bastubad |url=http://www.hbl.fi/text/inrikes/2010/8/7/w50447.php |date=2010-08-07 |work=HBL |language=Swedish

}} Kaukonen's preparation included hydrating meticulously and growing his hair long enough to cover the tips of his ears, making them less likely to burn.{{Cite news |date=2010-08-15 |title=Sauna games aren't cool at all |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-sauna-games-arent-cool/155712027/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=D2}} Just a few minutes before the finals, Kaukonen told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the saunas used for the 2010 championship were a lot more extreme than the saunas used for previous competitions.

{{cite web

|title=Overlege om sauna-tragedien: - Som å koke seg selv

|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/artikkel.php?artid=10026070

|date=2010-08-08

|publisher=Verdens Gang

|work=VG Nett

|language=Norwegian

}} As Kaukonen and Ladyzhensky were disqualified for not leaving the sauna unaided, Ilkka Pöyhiä became the winner.{{cite web | url=http://www2.aamulehti.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/187106.shtml | title=IL: Järjestäjä diskasi saunakisassa kuolleen ja loukkaantuneen | publisher=Aamulehti | date=11 August 2010 | accessdate=3 February 2011 | language=Finnish}}

The organizer, Ossi Arvela, said that there will probably never be another sauna competition. Two days later the City of Heinola noted that there are no official decisions about the future of the event, and the decisions would be made after the incident has been examined.{{cite web

| title=Löylyn MM -kisojen tulevaisuus

| url=http://www.heinola.fi/FIN/Ajankohtaista/Tiedotteet_(ajankohtaista)/Loyly_mm_2010/tulevaisuus.htm

| work=Virta Vie Heinolaan

| publisher=Town of Heinola

| language=Finnish

}} Arvela later reported that Finnish police had decided not to file charges in connection with the tragedy, but were continuing to investigate. Kaukonen woke up from a medically induced coma six weeks after the event. His respiratory system was scorched, 70% of his skin was burnt and eventually his kidneys failed as well. In late October, Kaukonen was reported to be recovering quickly. He did not blame the organizers for his injuries.{{cite news | url=http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/artikkeli/Saunakisoissa+loukkaantunut+Timo+Kaukonen+ei+syyt%C3%A4+j%C3%A4rjest%C3%A4ji%C3%A4/1135261107331 | title=Saunakisoissa loukkaantunut Timo Kaukonen ei syytä järjestäjiä | first=Jussi | last=Pullinen | newspaper=Helsingin Sanomat | date=23 October 2010 | accessdate=24 October 2010 | language=Finnish}}

Ladyzhensky's autopsy concluded that he had died of third-degree burns. His death was aided by his use of strong painkillers and local anesthetic grease on his skin. Kaukonen was competing according to the rules.[http://www.stara.fi/2011/03/10/sauna-timo-katkerana-huijauksesta-kylla-se-nyt-vahan-vuttaa/ Kaukonen:“I'm little angry”] {{in lang|fi}}

On April 20, 2011, the City of Heinola announced that they would no longer organize the event, noting that "If the city was to organize the World Sauna Championships in the future, the original playful and joyous characteristics of the event should be reintroduced. No ways to achieve this have been found."[http://www.heinola.fi/NR/rdonlyres/79A6874F-1F8E-4011-89BD-E233DB4B3605/0/Sauna_Championships.pdf THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD SAUNA CHAMPIONSHIPS(PDF)] {{in lang|en}}

• Finnish sauna

{{Reflist}}

• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/414887.stm BBC: Finland's hot competition]
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3117385.stm BBC: Sauna rivals feel the heat]
• [http://www.outsideonline.com/1823401/hotties Outside: Hotties]

Category:Culture of Finland

Category:Sport in Heinola

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1999

Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2010

Category:Sauna

Sauna