MISS FINLAND PETRA HÄMÄLÄLÄINEN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO WINNING MISS UNIVERSE
Published on September 21, 2022, 9:44 pm | Feature, Lifestyle
Petra Hämäläinen, 26, from the southeastern city of Savonlinna, was crowned the new Miss Finland on Saturday. She was the first in her family to achieve this dream, the title that her mother and grandmother had dreamt of achieving, too, but never dared to attend the competition. What follows is our report of what happened behind the scenes and about Petra’s passion for becoming a Miss Universe candidate.
Text and photographs: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
After the easing of the global pandemic, I was at it again to observe the coronation of Miss Finland in the beauty contest that first took place in 1931.
Finland Today has covered the finals since 2016 when Shirly Karvinen with a Chinese background became the one to wear the brightest crown in the southern city of Hämeenlinna.
This time I was at the White Hall in Helsinki, in the elegant, almost 100 years old building surrounded by landmarks at the corner of the Senate Square.
The Saturday night was warm, and the atmosphere in the White Hall was hot. The guests—some more famous than others—were dressed in suits or dresses; the dominant color was black, and they were also united by the thirst for expensive beer and cocktails.
From left: Adelaide Botty van den Bruele, Sheila DaCosta and other Miss Finland candidates posing in a direct broadcast on Saturday, September 17, 2022. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
Miss Finland candidates wore long, tight dresses in the shades of grey and green that sparkled in the spotlights as they walked back and forth on a dark shiny stage during the direct broadcast for TV. Their swimsuits were dark blue.
The stage was slippery, and there seemed to be a part missing from it, a kind of pit where you could imagine a conductor standing. The banks of television lights illuminated the surface of the stage with the power of a thousand watts.
Petra Hämäläinen, 26, a tall (184 centimeters), thin blonde from Savonlinna, was crowned as Miss Finland, and just before I was about to step closer for an interview, I stepped right into the pit. There was no conductor.
“Goddamn! I placed a bet who would be the first to dive right in,” said a cameraman when I was crawling up.
After a quick check for injuries and damage inflicted upon my equipment (miraculously there seemed to be none), I shook the dust off my red blazer and was ready to talk with the new Miss Finland who in high heels appeared two heads taller than me and has had her share of troubles as well, if only for her length. (She’s the tallest Miss Finland in the history of the competition.)
Petra Hämäläinen was happy to switch from swimsuit to evening dress. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
People often ask Petra if she plays basketball or, perhaps, volleyball. The answer is no. “It’s not always easy to be this tall. I often get to hear that I shouldn’t wear high heels,” Petra said in an interview with the Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. “But I love high heels, and I will keep wearing them in the future, too,” she continued.
During our interview, Petra shared that she has her eyes locked on the Miss Universe competition to be held in New Orleans across the Atlantic in mid-January next year.
“I am a very strong candidate for the Miss Universe competition. I love performing and I have the heart. I’d like to say that everybody should follow their dreams, and also I like to speak well for young people,” said Petra.
Finland Today wishes her the best of luck.
Nana Partanen, who became the first runner-up, congratulates Petra for winning the brightest crown. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
Petra Hämäläinen is a quick-witted new Miss Finland. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
The second runner-up in Miss Finland 2022 competition is Adelaide Botty van den Bruele, who seems happy while posing on the left side. The new Miss Finland Petra Hämäläinen is beaming in the middle and the first runner-up, Nana Partanen, is all smiles on the right. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY