Lehikoinen’s merits are historic
Hurdler Viivi Lehikoinen (HIFK-Friidrott rf.) has been chosen as Helsinki Athlete of the Year 2023 and has been awarded a grant of EUR 10,000. Lehikoinen finished 13th in the 400 metres hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon last year with a new Finnish record time of 54.60. At the European Championships in Munich, she finished sixth in the finals with a second Finnish record of 54.50.
Lehikoinen’s achievements last year are historic for Finland as she not only reached the World Championships 400 metres hurdles semi-finals but also became the first Finnish woman to reach the European Championships final. Lehikoinen broke sport icon Tuija Helander’s 35-year-old Finnish record time, already considered almost unbreakable, twice.
A wrestler, footballer and cheerleading club also among the winners
The City of Helsinki also traditionally presents awards to the Young Helsinki Athlete of the Year, Helsinki Coach of the Year and Helsinki Sports Club of the Year on Helsinki Day.
The Young Helsinki Athlete of the Year 2023 is Tino Ojala. His sport is Greco-Roman wrestling, and he represents Painiseura Helsingin Haka ry.
Ojala won a gold medal in his age group in the European U23 Wrestling Championships in Bucharest this year. At the same time, he became one of the few Finns to have won a European under-23 gold medal, as only Petra Olli (2015 and 2017) and Arvi Savolainen (2019) have previously managed to do so. Ojala received a grant of EUR 2,500.
The Helsinki Coach of the Year 2023 is Kimmo Ståhlhammar, well-known to football enthusiasts, who also received a EUR 2,500 grant in recognition of his work. Ståhlhammar has been coaching footballers at various stages of their careers in various sports clubs in Helsinki for more than 40 years. He is a coach who is loved and respected by all players and who sees strengths in everyone, regardless of age, experience or disability.
The Helsinki Sports Club of the Year 2023 is Golden Spirit Ry, which has been awarded a EUR 5,000 grant. The cheerleading club has been working purposefully with Sankaritaidot Oy for a year and a half to strengthen the psychological coaching of athletes. Golden Spirit is setting an example of how important it is to put psychological coaching at the centre alongside physical training – and also how this is done in top-level sports. This year, Golden Spirit became the first cheerleading club to receive a top-level sports Tähtiseuramerkki recognition and was invited by the Mayor of Helsinki to take part in the Finnish Sports Gala in recognition of its work with children and young people.
City of Helsinki Culture Award for Maija Vilkkumaa
The City of Helsinki’s Cultural and Leisure Committee grants an annual €15,000 cultural award to a Helsinki artist to recognise significant artistic merits or important work benefiting cultural life in Helsinki. This year the award was presented to singer-songwriter Maija Vilkkumaa.
Vilkkumaa has been described as one of the greatest Finnish female artists of her generation. Vilkkumaa started her career in the band Tarharyhmä, which was formed in 1990 and, after its break-up in 1995, she embarked on a successful solo career. Vilkkumaa has released eight studio albums, an EP, compilation albums and a live album. Almost all of her studio albums have sold gold, and a total of over 300,000 copies of her albums have been sold in Finland. Vilkkumaa turns 50 this year and celebrates her long and successful career with an autobiography to be published in the autumn and an anniversary tour called ‘1973.’
Artist of the Year Awards for virtuosos in their respective fields
The Artist of the Year Awards, valued at €5,000 each, are granted to Helsinki-based artists from different artistic disciplines. This year’s winners are Anna Brotkin, Ima Iduozee and Sonja Salomäki.
Anna Brotkin is a screenwriter known for her various TV series. Brotkin’s acclaimed comedy-drama series ‘Aikuiset’ depicts the Kallio district of Helsinki and the lifestyle of twenty-something Helsinki residents in a warmly humorous way. The main theme of the series is Helsinki’s neighbourhood identity and how important and defining a district is for young adults. Thanks to the series, the corners, spaces and warm atmosphere of Kallio have become familiar to all Finns.
Brotkin graduated in 2016 with a Master of Arts from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, majoring in film and television scriptwriting. Prior to that, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Jyväskylä, with a major in speech communication.
Ima Iduozee is a Helsinki-based dancer, choreographer and video director who works in opera, theatre, dance and film productions. Iduozee, who graduated from the Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy in 2016, has already paved the way for an international career and performances in Europe, North America and Asia with his debut solo choreography This is The Title (2012). In Finland, Iduozee has worked as a choreographer at the Finnish National Opera, the Finnish National Theatre and the Helsinki City Theatre. He is also known as a director of short films and music videos. His latest short film ‘After We’re Gone’ premiered at Kiasma, as part of the ARS22 exhibition.
Iduozee’s international success has not made him forget his hometown and the people of Helsinki, as the artist, who started his career in breakdance, continues to perform in different parts of Helsinki.
Sonja Salomäki is an artist who visualises surrounding phenomena, themes and moods using the techniques of textile and visual arts. She likes to carry out all the stages of her work herself, allowing the slow process to transform the work while she is working. Salomäki uses a variety of techniques such as weaving, tufting, felting and embroidery. The fabric collages, tapestries and tufted rugs reflect the artist’s love for her hometown Helsinki whose buildings, people and phenomena are reflected in her works as colours, layers, surfaces and rhythms.
The theme of Salomäki’s artistic work has recently been climate change, and her doctoral thesis also deals with the potential of climate art to influence the public. In the Climate Channel concept, Salomäki has created new ways of collaboration between artists and organisations. In the 'Farewell fossil utopia!’ textile work series, things and creatures, as well as the human involvement in the manifestations of the ecological crisis and their role in the ecosystem are unrestrainedly mixed together. Still, Salomäki’s works look to the future with hope from the midst of ecological disasters.