HELSINKI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of 57 Finnish athletes will participate in the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the Finnish Olympic Committee announced on Monday.
"We have an excellent and versatile team of athletes representing Finland in the Paris Olympics," Leena Paavolainen, leader of the Finnish delegation, said in a press release.
Finland sent a total of 45 athletes to Tokyo 2020, while the number increased to 57 for Paris 2024, and they will compete in 14 events. Paavolainen said that Finland's goal is to win at least two medals in Paris.
On the athletes list, 13-year-old skateboarder Heili Silvio is much-anticipated. She began skateboarding at the age of 9 and finished seventh in the skateboarding competition of the 2024 Olympic qualifier series in Budapest, securing a berth for the Paris Olympics.
Another athlete who has attracted much attention is 25-year-old high jumper Ella Junnila, who won the bronze at the 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships with a jump of 1.92m. Two years later, she jumped 1.96m at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships to break the Finnish national record and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. At the 2024 European Athletics Championships, Junnila ranked fifth with a jump of 1.94m.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11. ■
