Last year, the defense forces saw exceptionally hard sports performances.
Last year’s best athletes from the Defense Forces have been selected. The top names shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, because during 2023 there were successful athletes, especially in the Kaarti Jääkärirykmenti.
A sergeant who works as a non-commissioned officer in sports at the Santahamina garrison was chosen as the military athlete of the year Martti Puumalainen. The man from Mikkeli, who won both the judo Masters tournament and the European Championship in the fall, is also a strong candidate for an award at this week’s Sports Gala.
Martti Puumalainen brought Finland the first judo competition medal in 30 years. Miia Sirén
– Sergeant Puumalainen nicely brings out in public his work as a sports non-commissioned officer in the Defense Forces and the opportunities offered by the job to simultaneously train towards the top of the world, in the bulletin be praised.
A basketball player was chosen as the conscript athlete of the year Lauri Markkanen. In 2017, the Finn, who was assigned to the top league of basketball in the NBA, went to Santahamina to complete his military service. The morning comb ran out of thorns at the end of September.
Markkanen is one of the favorites for Athlete of the Year. He carried Finland in the World Basketball Championships and played the best season of his career in his club team, the Utah Jazz. A year ago, Markkanen was selected to open the NBA All-Star Game. At the end of the season, he was awarded as the league’s most improved player.
Lauri Markkanen started military service in April. Mia Siren
It wasn’t a one-season miracle, because Markkanen has also been the Jazz’s brightest star in the past season.
A reserve major was chosen as the military coach of the year Jari Karinkanta From the Jaeger Regiment of the Guard. Karinkanta coached the ski team at the World Military Championships. Finns won two gold and two bronze medals in skiing.
Also coached in the Finnish national biathlon team Ville Kotikumpu is the military exerciser of the year.
Donut coffee was enough for the defense forces last year, because Puumalainen’s colleagues, shooters Eetu Kallioinen and Aleksi Leppä stamped their passport to next summer’s Olympics as the peak of the season. Kallioinen won skeet shooting World Cup silver in August.