Finland competed at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. Finnish athletes have competed at every Olympic Games since its debut in

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

. The Finnish Olympic Committee ( fi, Suomen Olympiakomitea, ''SOK'') sent the nation's smallest ever team to the Games after the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

in Los Angeles. A total of 53 athletes, 36 men and 17 women, competed only in 12 sports; the nation's team size was roughly denser from Sydney by a quarter of the athletes. The Finnish team featured three returning Olympic medalists from Sydney: Greco-Roman wrestler

Marko Yli-Hannuksela Marko Juhani Yli-Hannuksela (born 21 December 1973 in Ilmajoki) is a Finland, Finnish former wrestling, wrestler. His most notable accomplishments are his two Olympic medals and a world championship in Greco-Roman amateur wrestling, wrestl ...

, rifle shooter

Juha Hirvi Juha Hirvi (born 25 March 1960 in Kymi, Finland, Kymi) is a Finland, Finnish shooting sports, sport shooter. He won the silver medal in Shooting at the 2000 Summer Olympics, men's 50 metre rifle three positions at the 2000 Summer Olympics ...

, who won a silver in the men's rifle three positions, and competed at his fifth Olympic Games, and open skiff sailor and defending Olympic champion

Thomas Johanson Thomas Johanson (born 3 June 1969 in Helsinki) is a Finnish sailor and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal in the 49er Class with Jyrki Järvi at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Oly ...

, who was appointed by the committee to carry the Finnish flag in the opening ceremony. Other notable Finnish athletes included swimmers

Hanna-Maria Seppälä Hanna-Maria Hintsa (' Seppälä born 13 December 1984) is a retired Finnish freestyle swimmer, who won the world title in the 100 m freestyle at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the co ...

and 1996 Olympic silver medalist

Jani Sievinen Jani Nikanor Sievinen (; born 31 March 1974) is a former medley swimmer from Finland, who won the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In winning the World Championship 200m individ ...

, professional tennis player Jarkko Nieminen, javelin thrower and top medal contender

Tero Pitkämäki Tero Kristian Pitkämäki (born 19 December 1982) is a Finnish retired track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He is a World Champion, having won gold in 2007. His personal best throw of 91.53 m, set in 2005, ranks him eleve ...

, and hammer thrower

Olli-Pekka Karjalainen Olli-Pekka Karjalainen (born 7 March 1980 in Töysä) is a Finnish former hammer thrower. The 1998 World Junior Champion, Karjalainen is the world junior record holder with 78.33 metres (7.26 kg). His personal best throw is 83.30, achieved ...

. Finland left Athens with their worst athletic performance, as the Finns failed to pick up a single gold for the first time in the entire Olympic history. Two silver medals were awarded to the Finnish team for skeet shooter

Marko Kemppainen Marko Kemppainen (born 13 July 1976 in Kajaani) is an athlete from Finland. He competes in skeet shooting. Kemppainen won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Championship in Cairo. He represented Finland at the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 ...

, and Greco-Roman wrestler

, who had previously won a bronze from Sydney in the men's 74 kg category.

Medalists

Archery

One Finnish archer qualified for the women's individual archery.

Athletics

Finnish athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard). ;Men ;Track & road events ;Field events ;Combined events –

Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...

;Women ;Track & road events ;Field events ;Combined events –

Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...

Badminton

Canoeing

Sprint

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal

Diving

Finnish divers qualified for two individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games. ;Men

Judo

Finland has qualified a single judoka.

Sailing

Finnish sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events. ;Women ;Open M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given

Shooting

Six Finnish shooters (four men and two women) qualified to compete in the following events: ;Men ;Women

Swimming

Finnish swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time): ;Men ;Women

Taekwondo

Finland has qualified a single taekwondo jin.

Tennis

Finland nominated one male tennis player to compete in the tournament.

Wrestling

;Men's Greco-Roman

References

External links

Official Report of the XXVIII OlympiadFinnish Olympic Committee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finland At The 2004 Summer Olympics Nations at the 2004 Summer Olympics

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...