12 Apr 2009 at 21:39 | Published by: JJM | Views: 8128 | News search

2nd Jonas Gustafsson, 1st Kosti Salonen, 3rd Marcus Larsson.  (Photo by Arto Borg 2009)

“Kosti Salonen owns the minigolf lanes of Rahola.” This anecdote, often heard from Finnish national team coach Pasi Aho, was proven true at Nordic Championships 2009. Kosti took gold in men’s competition with a win margin of 6 points, playing an ice-cold average score 20.13. Jonas Gustafsson of Sweden took silver with average 20.88, and Marcus Larsson of Sweden got bronze with average 21.00, one point behind Gustafsson and one point ahead of Pierre Zetterlund in fourth place.

Men’s silver medalist Jonas Gustafsson was only the 4th best player of the weekend, however. The tied second best score 20.63 was played by women’s winner Karin Wiklund (Sweden) and senior men’s winner Peter Nordin (Sweden).

Karin Wiklund won women’s competition in a sovereign style, 14 points ahead of silver medalist Mirva Juhola of Finland, who played an average 22.38. Bronze went to another Finnish lady Nina Mustonen, with average 23.50. Inger Neye (Denmark) and Dace Kupce-Krievina (Latvia) were within attacking distance from the bronze medal, both of them 3 points behind Mustonen, with average 23.88.

Peter Nordin won senior men with 2 points only, as silver medalist Jan-Åke Persson of Sweden scored the tied 4th best average of the whole tournament, 20.88. Bronze went to Tommy Blixt of Sweden (average 21.63), after a tight last-round battle against Erling Jensen of Denmark.

Bernice Thors of Sweden won gold in senior women with average 22.00, 4 points ahead of Finland’s Seija Björk. Inge-Lise Hansen of Denmark landed safely on bronze with average 25.25, 22 points behind silver and 24 points ahead of 4th place.

Gold in juniors went to Filiph Svensson of Sweden, with average 21.00. Mattias Brännström of Sweden was second, 2 points behind Svensson and 2 points ahead of bronze medalist Mads Nørregaard of Denmark.

Gold in female juniors was taken by Sweden’s Frida Elmdahl, with average 23.00. Lina Liljegren of Sweden was second, 5 points behind the winner and 14 points ahead of bronze medalist Mia Paavola of Finland.

Sweden took easily gold in all team competitions, as expected. The top 12 of total scores includes only three non-Swedish players: 1st Kosti Salonen (Finland), 10th Anders Gudmundstuen (Norway) and 12th Mads Nørregaard (Denmark). Remember these three names in the future...

Denmark took a delicious silver medal in men’s team competition, one point ahead of the host country Finland. In all other team competitions Finland took silver, behind the winner Sweden. Bronze medals went to Latvia in women’s team competition, and to Denmark in junior and senior teams.

SHARE Share Tweet