Newsletter 1/2011 Viking Cup International 2011
The Finnish Championships (Black Belts) and HelmiCup competition for colorbelts were held in Kuopio on the 5-6.2.2011. The club responsible for organizing this event was Kuopio University Taekwon-Do with the lead of their head teacher bosabumnim Olli Leino 3rd degree. On Saturday black belts competed for the Championship titles and the adult colorbelts competed in patterns and sparring. Sunday saw the juniors battle in patterns, sparring and special techniques, while senior colour belts gave their all in special techniques and power breaking.
All together 147 competitors from 14 clubs attended this event, 54 attended the Finnish Championships and 93, the color belt's HelmiCup competition.
A special martial arts gala called Super Fights was organized on Saturday night, where the audience saw three ITF sparring finals and a couple of Kendo and WTF taekwondo demos and matches. Men's Finnish Championships power breaking and special techniques were also a part of the gala during which the battle for the gold medal in the power breaking competition stole the show. Finally Janne Ahonen 4th degree won by managing to break four boards with amazingly powerful and precise yopchajirugi.
This year's Finnish Championships worked well as a rehearsal for the national team who is eagerly waiting for upcoming World Championships in March.
This year's best female competitor in the Finnish Championships was Tiia Kiviranta from Tampere Taekwon-Do club (gold in 2nd degree patterns and sparring up to 58 kg) and the best male competitor was Sami Koskela from Aitoo Taekwon-Do club (gold in special techniques, silver in sparring over 80 kg and power breaking).
In HelmiCup there were three categories: adults (over 13 year-olds), A-juniors (13-18 year-olds) and B-juniors (under 13 year-olds). The best female and male competitors in adult colorbelts were Anna-Kaisa Koivisto from Espoo TKD club (2 gold, 2 bronze) and Anssi Liikanen from Kuopio University Taekwon-Do (1 gold, 1 bronze). In addition Nita Mettinen from Tampere Taekwon-Do club competed in both adult and junior females and managed to win four gold medals in patterns and sparring.
The best achievement awards for 2010 were also handed out in Kuopio:
- Best Competitor: Anja Kärki, Tampere Taekwon-Do club
- Best Junior: Julia Pätsi, Taekwon-Do Academy
- Best Coach: Jari Lahtinen, ITF Helsinki
- Best Umpire: Lasse Kuusisto, Tampere Taekwon-Do club
- Best Public Figure: Heli Karjalainen, Tampere Taekwon-Do club
- Best Event: Master Lan's Seminar in Tampere, Tampere Taekwon-Do club
The results in Finnish: http://www.taekwon-do.fi/kilpailutoiminta/tulokset/.
- Statistics of the Finnish Championships and HelmiCup
- Clubs: 14
- Competitors in Finnish Champs: 54
- Competitors in HelmiCup: 93
- Best club in Finnish Champs: Tampere Taekwon-Do club (10 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze)
- Best club in HelmiCup: Tampere Taekwon-Do club (6 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze)
- Best club in HelmiCup A-juniors: Taekwon-Do Tornio (3 gold, 2 solver and 4 bronze)
- Best club in HelmiCup B-juniors: Taekwon-Do Tornio (4 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze)
- Most medals in both Finnish Champs and HelmiCup: Tampere Taekwon-Do club with 35 medals and Taekwon-Do Tornio right behind with 33 medals.
By Heli Karjalainen and Laura Nikkola-Kuusisto
