Special report:   Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

    BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Finland, the host nation for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, fielded 62 athletes to the Beijing Olympics, outnumbering its 2004 delegation.

    Finland has targeted at three medals including a gold in Beijing.

    In the Athens Games held four years ago, Finland picked two silver medals, ranking 62nd on the medal tally. It was the only Olympics that the Finns came home without a gold. In its peak time, Finland swept 15 golds at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920.

    The Finns are pinning hopes on Tero Pitkamaki, a world leading javelin thrower, to deliver gold.

    Since its Olympic debut in 1908, Finland has won a total of 295 medals at the Summer Games, mostly in athletics and wrestling, and 151 medals at the Winter Games, mainly from nordic skiing.

    Among Finland's Olympic heroes, one of the most respected is "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi. The legendary runner claimed a total of nine golds and three silvers over 12 events from 1920 to 1928.