The European swimming championships are on the programme for 2000. The city is even becoming a force to be reckoned with in soccer, a sport in which Finland has not done all that well up to now. All that changed in autumn 1998 when the city's pride and joy HJK scored a major upset by beating Portugal's legendary Benfica in the European Champions League and holding Germany's feared Kaiserslautern to a draw. A new roofed soccer field is under construction next door to the Olympic Stadium. We can always find people who do a good job for free.
Sports clubs do the groundwork and the machinery to handle big games is always ready and waiting.
The work that sports clubs do to train juniors is likewise on a voluntary basis. As a former star basketball player, Rauramo himself trains juniors early in the morning, before his working days begins. Without pay, naturally. In addition to top-level competitive sports, Helsinki offers both residents and visitors an impressive range of amenities for physical exercise. There are several indoor swimming pools and in summer bathers can use the large Swimming Stadium and numerous beaches.