Espoo Athlete of the Year is floorball player Justus Kainulainen

Espoo Liikkuu community chose Athlete of the Year, Role Model of the Year, and Team of the Year.

Esport Oilers captain Justus Kainulainen, whose team won the Finnish floorball championship in spring 2024, was chosen as Espoo’s Athlete of the Year in 2024. Kainulainen was elected as the most valuable player in the series by other players as well as the best attacker of the season by experts. In December 2024, his team won the Men’s World Floorball Championship.

Valley Bay Synchro, the synchronised skating team of Espoon Jäätaiturit, was awarded Espoo’s Team of the Year. In 2024, the team won gold in the national SM junior series in the Finnish Championship, topped the international ISU Challenger Series Trophy d'Ecosse competition, and also clinched the gold medal at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s regional championships. The team was the first team from Espoo in the World Junior Championships.

Espoo’s Role Model of the Year was given to artistic swimmer Iiris Nurmi, who is training for the European and World Aquatics Championships in 2025 alongside her food science studies at the University of Helsinki. Nurmi’s example demonstrates how an athlete can excel in a smaller sport while also serving as a role model of a top athlete with a dual career. 

The third athlete inducted to the Espoo Hall of Fame is Tiina Lillak.

Lillak is Finland’s most successful female javelin thrower ever and one of the few Olympic summer medallists from Espoo. Lillak, who represented Esbo Idrottsförening, became a leading name in women’s javelin throwing in 1980 when she made her major debut at the Summer Olympic Games.

The first members of the Espoo Hall of Fame, Jere Lehtinen and Marjo Matikainen-Kallström, were chosen at the Espoo Sports Gala in 2023, when the athletes of 2022 were awarded.

The Espoo Sports and Exercise Committee selected Espoon Jäätaiturit as the Sports Club of the Year for its diverse and long-term work in figure skating. Espoon Jäätaiturit is a leading club for figure skating in both single and synchronised skating, and its goal is to ensure that everyone can feel the joy of ice skating.

The Young Athlete of the Year was awarded to Anni Jantunen, an exceptionally talented multi-athlete who exemplifies Espoo’s competitive spirit as a representative of three sports clubs in Espoo in skiing, orienteering and cross-country running. Jantunen has seen great success in both international and national competitions.

Aapo Heinonen, who has served as the main coach of Tapiolan Honka’s men’s basketball team for five seasons, was selected as Espoo’s Coach of the Year. Heinonen’s strengths include a player-oriented coaching philosophy that values diversity and gives players room to fail and experience genuine growth. Heinonen’s achievements and long-term work for the team have been widely lauded.

The Sport and Exercise Committee chose Kiekko-Espoo’s ascent in the Finnish ice hockey league as the Sports Act of the Year in 2024. The way that the team has climbed the league is a significant achievement for Espoo, and it also represents the importance of diligent work and systematic effort.

The award for Collaborative Act of the Year was given to the Leiki ja liiku (Play and Move) activities.

The aim of Leiki and liiku activities is to promote the well-being and physical activity of children between the ages of 5 and 6, helping to improve their motor skills, physical activity, and social development, while also encouraging them to engage in a physically active lifestyle. The activities are carried out by Espoo’s Sports and Exercise Unit, early childhood education and care in Finnish and Swedish, and sport clubs.

The facility reservation unit for sports services in Espoo, which is responsible for the management of sports facilities, the handling of sport shift allocations, changes and invoicing, and ensuring a sufficient number of free practice shifts, was chosen as Espoo’s Work Community of the Year in 2024.

Throughout the years, the unit has deftly handled over 20,000 reservations for Espoo’s many clubs and sports enthusiasts. Its success is the result of years of experience, quick reaction speed, and good understanding of Espoo’s sports club scene.

The most intense sports moment in 2024 went to the semifinal thriller between top floorball clubs Esport Oilers and Westend Indians. The seventh game of the series was played at a sold-out Tapiola Sports Hall. 

“I want to congratulate all our award recipients! Having our own Sports Gala is a signal that we really value the significance and identity of Espoo’s sports clubs and athletic enthusiasts. We’re so pleased to have been able to arrange this for the third time with the ideas and help of Espoo’s numerous clubs. We also understand the importance of bringing together all of Espoo’s top sports representatives, so that we can meet and discuss the role that sports play in Espoo. This Gala truly symbolises our shared passion for sport!” says Sports Director Martti Merra.