Oksanen and Palermaa Crowned 2025 Finnish National Bowling Champions
Erikas Jansonas- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The 2025 Finnish National Bowling Championships wrapped up on Sunday, May 25, with Niko Oksanen and Emma Palermaa crowned as the new national champions in the men’s and women’s divisions.
The finals, held at Tali Bowling in Helsinki, delivered top-tier performances and showcased the strength of Finnish bowling talent ahead of the European Championships.
On the women’s side, the spotlight belonged to 15-year-old Emma Palermaa, who continued her sensational season by winning the Finnish National Championship. Palermaa had already collected 12 medals this spring across junior and women’s competitions. Her final performance of the season in Helsinki added a national title to the young bowler’s growing list.
In the final, Palermaa faced experienced bowler Essi Pakarinen, who had just won the European Bowling Tour Masters title on Wednesday in Denmark. With a dominant 246 in the first game and a steady second set, Palermaa secured a 426–380 victory. Pakarinen took silver, while Sanna Oksanen claimed bronze after falling to Palermaa in the semi-final.
In the men’s championship, 26-year-old Niko Oksanen claimed his second career national title after a hard-fought final against rising star Luukas Väänänen. Oksanen, who last won the national crown in 2017, entered the medal rounds as the top seed after averaging over 242 across 27 games in the finals.
Väänänen, only 20 years old, earned his first individual medal at the Finnish National Championships after defeating former champion Juhani Tonteri in a tight semi-final. Tonteri kicked off with a remarkable 290, only to be edged out by Väänänen’s back-to-back sets of 275 and 235.
Despite an impressive effort, Väänänen couldn’t overtake Oksanen in the two-game final. Oksanen set the tone with a 277 opener and secured the title with a combined score of 466–453.
Men’s Medalists:
Champion: Niko Oksanen
Silver: Luukas Väänänen
Bronze: Juhani Tonteri
Women’s Medalists:
Champion: Emma Palermaa
Silver: Essi Pakarinen
Bronze: Sanna Oksanen
Both Palermaa and Oksanen earned the right to represent Finland at the 2025 European Championship of Champions, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, from October 20 to 26.
