Is this really a sport?

Finns reign in sauna world championships

HEINOLA, Finland (AFP) — Finland held onto its reign in 2008 Sauna World Championships by sitting in a piping hot sauna for longer than competitors from Belarus and Belgium.

Bjarne Hermansson who won the male championship stayed in a sauna heated to 110 decrees Celsius (230 Fahrenheit) for 18 minutes and 15 seconds.

"It feels wonderful, it is a dream come true," said Hermansson, his red hot skin covered with sweat.

Hermansson, who has attended the competition every year, said he had trained for it by going to a really hot sauna for more than 30 years.

But he admitted reaching his dream had not been easy. "It was slightly more pain than pleasure," he said.

The toughest woman was Leila Kulin who could take the heat for five minutes and 21 seconds, but Belarussian Natalya Tryfanava was a close competitor and only lost by one second.

"The secret to my success was Finnish persistence," Kulin told reporters just a few seconds after she stepped out of the sauna as the champion.

Now this is the stupidest thing of all time. Let me cook myself internally for a while and maybe I can get a trophy. I am glad this is not a Olympic sport. There are a lot of stupid sports out there and this is just retarded. I wonder if they also have a jacuzzi tournament. I think I would do better in that than the sauna.