The legendary Finnish skier Juha Mieto, also known as “Mietaa”, is all for clean sports and fair play at the Nordic Ski World Championships. However, he is not waving a flag this time but his beard instead. Mietaa has promised to wave his beard at the championships, and the audience can pick up a colourful beard of their own at the FINCIS information stand and root for their favourites by waving the beard. The slogan of the campaign is “Clean and fair sports–as genuine as Mieto’s beard”.
Juha Mieto was not chosen as the ambassador of clean sports and beard waver of the Lahti2017 Championships on a whim. The skier legend has for a long time been an embodiment of fair play, and UNESCO granted him the Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy in 1986.
“You guys, it’s like this: you’ve got to rely on yourself only and clean sports is now the way to go. It is my pleasure to participate in this campaign for clean sports. Now let’s focus on these championships and root for our great athletes by waving our beards. I want to see some colour and action in the audience,” says Mieto.
“The beard campaign is just what skiing, sports and Finland need right now. We make a stand and influence for a fairer world together, in the spirit of the Finland100 centenary. The Lahti2017 Championships are the largest event of Finland’s centenary and at the same time, a common celebration of clean sports,” says Harri Syväsalmi, Secretary General at FINCIS.
The clean sports beards and different county flag stickers are handed out at the FINCIS information stand in the competition area’s Finland100 alley. The beards are available in many different colours so they will surely suit the style of every championship visitor.
You can also cast a vote for the fairest athlete at the information stand. Finnish sports students are in charge of the information stand as part of their studies, and Mietaa himself will visit the stand during the championships. Athletes tell their thoughts on fair play on videos shown on the screens.
Further information:
Susanna Sokka
FINCIS Information Manager
tel. +358 40 740 7477
Social media hashtags:
#puhtaastipara, #lahti2017, #mietaanparta, #suomi100