Records broken at Finnish beton championships
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Minigolfers received a visit from the top of Finnish society, as the Minister of Culture and Sports, Stefan Wallin, gave a speech at the opening ceremony of Finnish beton championships 2008 in Vaasa. Wallin also played a round of minigolf at the opening ceremony, on the beton course of Botnia MGK (built in 2007, next to the eternite and felt courses of World Championships 2001). Rumours tell that his score was somewhere around 60 points.
The sovereign winner of the competition was Kosti Salonen, with average score 27.67 — the new Finnish record for 6 rounds of beton. (His last five rounds missed the Finnish record for 5 rounds by one point only.)12 points behind Kosti (2.00 points per round, new Finnish record for win margin on beton) came silver medalist Tom Ahlberg, with average score 29.67. Jussi Heino took bronze with average 29.83, after a tied score and sudden death play-off against Tommi Lantta.Winner in women’s competition was Mirva Juhola, with average 33.17. Nina Mustonen lost 4 points to the winner (average 33.83), and Yvonne Bartley received bronze with a remarkably higher average score 38.33.With two gold medals in pocket (eternite and beton), Kosti and Mirva have the chance to go for a “Hat Trick” of three gold medals, if they participate in the felt championships of this year. (Finnish championships have been played separately on all playing systems since 1989. No player has ever won a Hat Trick of three gold medals in men’s competition.)
The team competition for Finnish beton championship medals (and the right to participate in European Cup 2008) was a tight but not very high-class battle between Taivallahden RGS, Minigolf-Aces, Sibelius Park MGK and Botnia MGK. All teams had great problems finding six reliable players to the competition. Eventually it was Taivallahden RGS who won the team competition, with average score 31.93 at this not very difficult beton course. Half of the team will need to improve their game dramatically, if they want to take anything more than the last or second-last place at European Cup in Hilzingen, Germany. But on the other hand, it is not always the winners who are having the greatest time in competitions...
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