Chain oil and Tummeli, please

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By Jarmo Färdig in Gothenburg
     
      Before the European Championships got under way in Gothenburg, I somewhat rashly promised that I would cycle next summer from Helsinki to the location of one of the Finnish AAA's Elite Games meets, were Finland to manage to secure at least two medals from the week of competitions.
      Tero Pitkämäki did the groundwork with his silver medal in the javelin, and on Friday night Jukka Keskisalo romped home in the steeplechase to oblige me to put my bottom on the saddle and pay off my bet.
      Keskisalo's European Championship title is a stunning achievement. The tears were welling up when I watched his unabashed delight after the race.
      Next summer they will probably be welling up again. I shall ride my bike either to Lahti (100 km) or to Tampere (a good deal further). The destination will be determined on the basis of my physical condition at the time.
      Now, however, I must get hold of some oil to spray on the chain of my rusty machine, and some Tummeli* to rub into my buttocks, which are already exhibiting symptoms of chafing at the very thought of such an outing.
     
Keskisalo's performance in Gothenburg was a complete slam-dunk. I wrote three years ago after the final of the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the World Championships in Paris (where Keskisalo finished 9th) that for him running was like a game of chess.
      On Friday it all came together, Grand Master-style, and the young man from Joensuu picked off his opponents like so many pawns, one after another.
      Missing from the starting line-up was Simon Vroeman. The Dutchman, who holds the European Record for the distance, withdrew from the final after succumbing to a bout of food poisoning. He, too, would have been left feeling queasy against Keskisalo in that kind of form.
     
The Finnish Sports Federation's win-bonus for a European title is EUR 15,000. Money will also be coming into the Keskisalo account from sponsorship partners and in the form of a state sporting grant.
      Keskisalo has earned every cent he gets. His win was just as much of a delightful bolt from the blue as Janne Holmén's victory in the marathon at the last European Championships, in Munich four years ago.
      Now where's my helmet?
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 12.8.2006
     
     
Translators' Note: Tummeli ® is a Finnish institution. Officially it is mildly antiseptic udder cream, manufactured by Berner and employed extensively by dairy farmers on their herds, to prevent chafing and irritation to the hard-worked cows' udders. However, as a simple water-based moisturising cream it has also become widely used by the general public as a hand, foot, and general body cream, a good old-fashioned remedy for dry skin. Some swear by its use as a sunscreen, others use it on dogs to soften hard pads on their paws. There is even a persistent Finnish legend that some German tourists actually ate the stuff believing it to be processed cheese. It can be found from agricultural supplies stores and from all pharmacies, and is available in various sizes, in handy tubes or in tubs up to 2.5 kg.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland won, as did Gothenburg (14.8.2006)

JARMO FÄRDIG / Helsingin Sanomat
jarmo.fardig@hs.fi