Editing Espoo (section)

== Sports ==
[[File:Barona-areena.JPG|thumb|left|[[Espoo Metro Areena]] (formerly known as Barona Areena and Länsi-Auto Areena) is a sports and entertainment centre located in [[Tapiolan Urheilupuisto]].]]
[[File:Tapiolan urheilupuisto.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tapiolan Urheilupuisto]] stadium in [[Tapiola]]]]
[[File:LeppavaaranUrheilupuisto.jpg|thumb|right|The Leppävaara sports park]]
[[File:Espoon Tapiola kesällä.jpg|thumb|right|The waddling pool of the [[Tapiola swimming pool]] in summer 2001. In the background are the [[Espoo Cultural Centre]] to the right and the [[Tapiola Central Tower]] to the left.]]
[[File:Länsi auto areena - Espoo Blues.jpg|thumb|right|The indoor ice rink of Espoo Metro Areena, the home arena of [[Kiekko-Espoo]]]]
At the [[1952 Summer Olympics]], the city's [[Westend Tennis Hall]] hosted the [[Fencing at the 1952 Summer Olympics|fencing]] events.

Many world famous sportspeople are from Espoo, such as ice hockey players [[Teemu Selänne]] and [[Jere Lehtinen]], swimmer [[Antti Kasvio]], figure skater [[Laura Lepistö]], javelin thrower [[Tiina Lillak]], cross-country skier [[Marjo Matikainen]] and [[Formula 1]] world champion [[Kimi Räikkönen]].

Espoo is home to the [[Vermo]] race track, the [[Espoo Metro Areena]], the sports parks of [[Tapiolan urheilupuisto]], Leppävaaran urheilupuisto, Espoonlahden urheilupuisto as well as the [[Serena Waterpark]]. The largest swimming pools in Espoo are the Leppävaara swimming pool, the Keski-Espoo swimming pool, the Espoonlahti swimming pool and the [[Tapiola swimming pool]]. Other exercise sites include the [[Espoo Central Park]], the [[Espoo outdoor islands]] and the outdoor exercise areas of [[Luukki]] and [[Pirttimäki]] of the city of Helsinki.

===Sportsperson of the year in Espoo===
Every year a sportsperson of the year is chosen in Espoo. Titleholders include the following people:
* 2014: Gymnast Saga Hänninen, who has [[Down's syndrome]]. She competes in rhythmic gymnastics and is also active in other sports. She has won gold at the [[Special Olympics]] with her ball performance.<ref>Oksanen, Kimmo: [https://web.archive.org/web/20141225060141/http://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/a1419314068452 Downin oireyhtymä ei hidasta 14-vuotiasta Saga Hännistä: Hän on Espoon Vuoden urheilija], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 24 December 2014. Accessed on 25 December 2015.</ref>
* 2015: Archer Jarkko Lehtinen.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210615090720/https://www.espoo.fi/fi-FI/Liikunta_ja_nuorisolautakunta_valitsi_vu(85632) Liikunta- ja nuorisolautakunta valitsi vuoden 2015 espoolaiseksi urheilijaksi jousiampuja Jarkko Lehtisen], city of Espoo. Accessed on 7 June 2018.</ref>
* 2016: Artistic gymnast Oskar Kirmes, who achieved a record score in the Olympic tryouts in [[Rio de Janeiro]], securing the first Olympic participation in men's artistic gymnastics for Finland in 44 years.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210615090827/https://www.espoo.fi/fi-FI/Vuoden_2016_espoolainen_urheilija_joukku(114503) Vuoden 2016 espoolainen urheilija, joukkue ja urheiluteko on valittu], city of Espoo. Accessed on 7 June 2018.</ref>
* 2017: Shooter Cristian Friman, who won the youths' world championship in prone rifle shooting in 2017.<ref>Repo, Sirja: [https://www.lansivayla.fi/urheilu/1540873 Nuoresta ampujasta vuoden urheilija, FC Hongan naisista vuoden joukkue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116190419/https://www.lansivayla.fi/artikkeli/608969-nuoresta-ampujasta-vuoden-urheilija-fc-hongan-naisista-vuoden-joukkue |date=16 January 2020 }}, ''[[Länsiväylä (newspaper)|Länsiväylä]]''. Accessed on 7 June 2018.</ref>

===Basketball===
In 2027 the [[Espoo Metro Areena]] will be used as Finland's host city for the [[EuroBasket Women 2027|FIBA Women's EuroBasket]].

===Ice hockey===
[[Espoo Blues]] was a successful hockey club; between 1998 and 2016 it iced a men's hockey team which played at the men's premier [[SM-liiga]] and a women's hockey team which played at the women's premier [[Naisten Liiga (ice hockey)|Naisten SM-sarja]]. The women's team, [[Espoo Blues Naiset]], won 13 Finnish women's championships in the 18-year span (1998–2016), seven of them won consecutively. The men's and women's ice hockey teams were known as Kiekko-Espoo from 1984 to 1998 and 1990 to 1998 respectively.

In spring 2016 ''Jääkiekko Espoo Oy'', the organization which owned the clubs, declared bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.is.fi/sm-liiga/art-2000001157282.html|title=Konkurssipesä myöntää: Bluesin tilanteeseen ei ratkaisua|last=Hiitelä|first=Juha|date=12 April 2016|website=Ilta-Sanomat|language=fi|trans-title=The bankrupt organization concedes: Blues situation has no solution|access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> A new club called [[Espoo United (ice hockey)|Espoo United]] was established to replace Espoo Blues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.is.fi/mestis/art-2000001168126.html|title=Nyt se on varmaa: Jussi Salonoja perusti uuden seuran – "Lähetän hakupaperit tänään"|last=Lempinen|first=Marko|date=28 April 2016|website=Ilta-Sanomat|language=fi|trans-title=Now it is certain: Jussi Salonoja founded a new club – "I'm submitting league admittance papers today"|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=13 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713233341/https://www.is.fi/mestis/art-2000001168126.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Espoo United (ice hockey)|Espoo United's men's ice hockey team]] played at the second highest level [[Mestis]]. The Espoo United women's hockey team played at the highest level, {{lang|fi|[[Naisten Liiga (ice hockey)|Naisten Liiga]]|italic=no}}, and won silver in the 2017 league championships. Espoo United was also active in basketball and the [[Espoo United (basketball)|men's basketball team]] played at the second highest level; the women's basketball team played at the highest level, [[Naisten Korisliiga]].

In August 2017, in what was described as an effort to stabilize the club's tenuous financial situation, Espoo United abandoned its women's teams in both ice hockey and basketball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000005326203.html|title=Jussi Salonojalta raju ratkaisu: Espoo United hylkää naisjoukkueet|last1=Oivio|first1=Janne|last2=Lempinen|first2=Marko|date=15 August 2017|website=Ilta-Sanomat|language=fi|trans-title=Jussi Salonoja's drastic solution: Espoo United to abandon women's teams|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=13 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713233342/https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000005326203.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Espoo United's former women's basketball team quickly acquired transfer to [[Tapiolan Honka]] but the women's ice hockey team was left in an unsustainable situation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theicegarden.com/2017/8/17/16162120/espoon-united-womens-team-folds-one-month-before-puck-drop-naisten-liiga-pyeongchang-jussi-salonoja|title=Espoo United women's team folds one month before puck drop|last=Foster|first=Meredith|date=17 August 2017|website=The Ice Garden|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=27 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627194552/https://www.theicegarden.com/2017/8/17/16162120/espoon-united-womens-team-folds-one-month-before-puck-drop-naisten-liiga-pyeongchang-jussi-salonoja|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Finnish Ice Hockey Association]] chose to intervene in September 2017 and created an organization that would allow the team to play under the name Espoo Blues until a better structure could be identified.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theicegarden.com/2017/9/4/16252084/blue-monday-blues-espoo-join-naisten-liiga-naisleijonat-finland|title=Blue Monday: Blues Espoo join Naisten Liiga|last=Foster|first=Meredith|date=4 September 2017|website=The Ice Garden|access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> In April 2018, despite the dumping of its women's teams, Espoo United declared bankruptcy and its men's teams folded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.is.fi/mestis/art-2000005667535.html|title=Espoo Unitedin konkurssista tuli virallista|date=4 May 2018|website=Ilta-Sanomat|language=fi|trans-title=Espoo United's bankruptcy becomes official|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=13 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713233341/https://www.is.fi/mestis/art-2000005667535.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 2019, the women's ice hockey team Espoo Blues merged with ''Kiekko Espoo Oy'', a significant junior hockey club with the largest girls hockey program in the country, to become [[Kiekko-Espoo Naiset]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theicegarden.com/2019/4/30/18523465/kiekko-espoo-absorb-espoo-blues-rejoin-top-tier-naisten-liiga-finland|title=Kiekko-Espoo absorb Espoo Blues, rejoin top tier|last=Foster|first=Meredith|date=30 April 2019|website=The Ice Garden|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=27 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627194517/https://www.theicegarden.com/2019/4/30/18523465/kiekko-espoo-absorb-espoo-blues-rejoin-top-tier-naisten-liiga-finland|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the merger, the team was the winningest team in Naisten Liiga history with 14 [[Aurora Borealis Cup|Naisten Liiga championships]] and a combined 24 Naisten Liiga championship medals over 29 seasons.

===Football===
[[FC Honka]] is the most successful local professional [[association football|football]] club. The men's team was promoted into the Finnish premier division (''[[Veikkausliiga]]'') for the first time in its history at the end of the 2005 season. They play their home matches at [[Tapiolan urheilupuisto]]. Espoo is also home to [[SexyPöxyt]] of the fourth-tier [[Kolmonen]] league. They play their home matches at Laaksolahden urheilupuisto in the [[Laaksolahti]] district.

===Floorball===
Espoo also has two floorball teams playing at highest level [[Salibandyliiga]]. The two teams are Esport Oilers and Westend Indians.

===Running===
Espoo is home to the [[Länsiväyläjuoksu]], an annual running event that starts and finishes in [[Otaniemi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Etusivu |url=https://www.lansivaylajuoksu.fi/ |website=Länsiväyläjuoksu |access-date=28 November 2020 |language=fi |archive-date=7 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207232203/https://www.lansivaylajuoksu.fi/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Athletes from Espoo===
Espoo is the birthplace of 2007 [[Formula One]] World Champion [[Kimi Räikkönen]], former [[Dallas Stars]] forward [[Jere Lehtinen]] (three time [[National Hockey League|NHL]] [[Selke Trophy]] winner), former [[Formula One]] driver [[JJ Lehto]], professional downhill mountain biker [[Matti Lehikoinen]], professional [[ten-pin bowling]] star [[Osku Palermaa]] and 2009 European Figure Skating Champion [[Laura Lepistö]].