"Why Was the President There?"... Alexander Stubb Takes Surprise Second Place in Triathlon Under Alias

Competed Under the Alias "AS"
The Organizers Learned of His Participation Only Later

Alexander Stubb, the 57-year-old President of Finland, drew attention by finishing second in an amateur triathlon competition, in which he participated under an alias.

Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, placed second in a triathlon competition. X Capture.

According to the Finnish media outlet Helsingin Sanomat on July 12 (local time), President Stubb participated in a triathlon sprint event held the previous day in Joroinen. Known as "Cheolin 3jong" in Korea, this event requires a single athlete to consecutively complete three disciplines?swimming, cycling, and running?without rest.

According to reports, President Stubb registered for the triathlon under the alias "AS" on the starting list.

The organizers were also reportedly unaware in advance of President Stubb's participation. The media stated, "President Stubb's identity was revealed when he appeared at the starting line."

President Stubb completed the course, which consisted of a 500-meter swim, a 20-kilometer cycle, and a 5-kilometer run. His final time was 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 19 seconds, earning him second place in the men's general division.

The media noted, "If the Joroinen event had been held as a mixed-gender competition, President Stubb would have placed third," explaining, "This is because the women's general division winner, Mira Leskinen, outperformed all the male participants."

President Stubb is known to regularly participate in triathlon competitions. Leskinen told the media, "I didn't really think, 'I beat the president.' I was already aware of President Stubb's abilities," adding, "Personally, it didn't feel like a trophy to have beaten the president. However, seeing how excited people around me were about it made me think about it a bit more."

President Stubb finished 1 minute and 30 seconds behind Leskinen, and 1 minute and 19 seconds behind Arto Wallin, the men's general division winner. There were 45 participants in the men's general division, and more than 100 athletes competed in the event overall.