Cheerleading in the Nordics
Cheerleading started in the States in the 1860s and became an official organized sport in 1898 and for a long time it has been the best country in the world to do cheerleading.
In all of the years of ICU World Championships (first competition was in 2009), USA has dominated the sport in all of the divisions, but the next countries constantly on top are, surprisingly, the Nordic Countries. The Nordics are especially strong in the All Girl Premiere division, where the countries that are consequently in the top 5 are Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and USA. This year, in 2022 Germany and Canada gave the Nordics a good challenge, when Germany took bronze and Canada placed fifth, dropping Sweden from the medal podium, and Norway and Denmark from the top 5.
In 2011, Finnish partner stunt couple Mija Schrey & Mika Pennanen won the World Championship title in the partner stunt division. The cheerleading world was made aware of Finland. It took many years after the historic partner stunt win, for the Nordics to rise up in the team divisions as well. Finland did well, placing 4th, 5th and 3rd in the All Girl division, and taking many top 5 placements in coed. History was made in 2018, when the Finnish Women’s National Team finally took home the World Championship title (and haven’t stopped since). Now they hold 4 World Champion titles and are titled as the trendsetters, bringing new skills and elements to the competition mat every year. Finland’s historic win(s) lit a fire in every Finnish and Nordic cheerleader, if they could do it, so can we.
In all of the years of ICU World Championships (first competition was in 2009), USA has dominated the sport in all of the divisions, but the next countries constantly on top are, surprisingly, the Nordic Countries. The Nordics are especially strong in the All Girl Premiere division, where the countries that are consequently in the top 5 are Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and USA. This year, in 2022 Germany and Canada gave the Nordics a good challenge, when Germany took bronze and Canada placed fifth, dropping Sweden from the medal podium, and Norway and Denmark from the top 5.
In 2011, Finnish partner stunt couple Mija Schrey & Mika Pennanen won the World Championship title in the partner stunt division. The cheerleading world was made aware of Finland. It took many years after the historic partner stunt win, for the Nordics to rise up in the team divisions as well. Finland did well, placing 4th, 5th and 3rd in the All Girl division, and taking many top 5 placements in coed. History was made in 2018, when the Finnish Women’s National Team finally took home the World Championship title (and haven’t stopped since). Now they hold 4 World Champion titles and are titled as the trendsetters, bringing new skills and elements to the competition mat every year. Finland’s historic win(s) lit a fire in every Finnish and Nordic cheerleader, if they could do it, so can we.
Norway also holds a World Champion title under their belt, when their All Girl Group Stunt won the World Championship title in 2014. Norway has also placed 2nd in the All Girl Premiere Division multiple years in a row and in recent years they have always been in the top 4. Their coed team is also a strong contender in their division, always placing high with the highest placement being 5th.
Sweden made history in 2019, when their Junior All Girl team won the World Champion title at the Junior World Championships. The Cheerleading World was shook and excited, another Nordic Country taking home the team division gold! Their Women’s National Team has been successful as well, placing 3rd in 2018, 4th in 2019 and again in 2022.
The championships were canceled in 2020 due to COVID, but in 2021 at the virtual Championships, Finland took home the World Champion title in the Junior All Girl division. Denmark haven’t medaled (yet) in the team or group stunt divisions, but their teams are always placing high, constantly in the top 5. The Nordics just can not be stopped.
So what makes the Nordics so successful? This post is written from the writer’s point of view, from a former Finnish National Team member, so the insights are mainly from the Finnish cheerleading world. But from what I have learned, the sport is arranged similarly in the other Nordic countries as well, so I feel confident in making connections between Finland and other Nordic countries.
The championships were canceled in 2020 due to COVID, but in 2021 at the virtual Championships, Finland took home the World Champion title in the Junior All Girl division. Denmark haven’t medaled (yet) in the team or group stunt divisions, but their teams are always placing high, constantly in the top 5. The Nordics just can not be stopped.
So what makes the Nordics so successful? This post is written from the writer’s point of view, from a former Finnish National Team member, so the insights are mainly from the Finnish cheerleading world. But from what I have learned, the sport is arranged similarly in the other Nordic countries as well, so I feel confident in making connections between Finland and other Nordic countries.
Cheerleading is a fairly new sport in the Nordics, landing here in the 1980s. The sport came from the States, but also it came to countries that are quite far from the USA, so the influence after arrival has not been that strong. When the sport came, we could make it our own. Cheerleading is arranged at non-profit clubs around the Nordics, not at for-profi commercialized gyms or schools. Doing cheerleading is not connected to which school you go to and you are also able to do it even though you do not attend any school, compared to the States where the team you get to cheer at is based on the school you go to.
The Nordic countries have strong club practices that come from other sports as well. Kids are encouraged to move and do sports from a young age, and you can do cheerleading starting from the age of 3 in most of the clubs! Cheerleading is also a sport for everyone, despite the age or skill level. I have witnessed many families that are all cheerleaders, doing the sport at their own level. The enthusiasm, excitement and joy are the corner stones for successful cheerleaders to come from the Nordic cheerleading clubs.
We are not afraid of change in the Nordics. We challenge what was before, how things were done and look for ways to do it better. Before many teams were looking to the the states, what do they do, how do they practice, until we figured out we can challenge this. We don’t have to and it is actually better to do things different from another country.
We are not afraid of change in the Nordics. We challenge what was before, how things were done and look for ways to do it better. Before many teams were looking to the the states, what do they do, how do they practice, until we figured out we can challenge this. We don’t have to and it is actually better to do things different from another country.
The competition drive is really big amongst the teams, and we are constantly pushing each other. The Nordic countries competes against each other at ICU Worlds but also at ECU Europeans. When we see the other countries and teams getting better, it pushes our own teams to do better. In addition to being competitive with each other, the Nordic countries do a lot of co-operation, coaches visit other countries to learn and to share their knowledge with the other teams. We strongly believe in taking the whole sport forward, not just our own teams. All of the countries also have strong federations that do close co-operation together.
One special thing in the Nordics, that I think unites all of the countries, is grit and perseverance. The people in general are very hard working and willing to put in the hours into whatever it is that they are committed to do. We are ready to work towards our goals and will stay grinding towards it until we achieve it. The secret is not to have the most talented people (how would you define talent anyway?), but to have the people with the most grit and perseverance. Slow and steady wins the race, the ones who are willing to stay, work, learn new skills and perfect the existing ones.
All of the Nordic teams have combined national teams in the senior divisions, which consist of the best athletes from the country. This means they are also coming from different club teams, so in their ”Worlds off-season” they are rivals, in the national team they are teammates. This creates a powerful dynamic of competition and the unity the athletes feel. Without both, the inner competition and driving each other better, but also the closeness and safety of the teammates, the teams would not be succeeding as well as they are now.
One special thing in the Nordics, that I think unites all of the countries, is grit and perseverance. The people in general are very hard working and willing to put in the hours into whatever it is that they are committed to do. We are ready to work towards our goals and will stay grinding towards it until we achieve it. The secret is not to have the most talented people (how would you define talent anyway?), but to have the people with the most grit and perseverance. Slow and steady wins the race, the ones who are willing to stay, work, learn new skills and perfect the existing ones.
All of the Nordic teams have combined national teams in the senior divisions, which consist of the best athletes from the country. This means they are also coming from different club teams, so in their ”Worlds off-season” they are rivals, in the national team they are teammates. This creates a powerful dynamic of competition and the unity the athletes feel. Without both, the inner competition and driving each other better, but also the closeness and safety of the teammates, the teams would not be succeeding as well as they are now.
After the multiple championship titles in the recent years, the Nordic media has finally caught up on the hype around cheerleading. This has had a huge impact (especially before COVID) on the number of athletes in the clubs. The sport is among the fastest growing sports, which promises good things to cheerleading in the future as well.
Nordic cheerleading is doing well and improving year by year. There is no end in sight for what all of the countries and teams can achieve in the upcoming years.
Nordic cheerleading is doing well and improving year by year. There is no end in sight for what all of the countries and teams can achieve in the upcoming years.
