"We are grateful if you in your contacts with the Government of Finland and other relevant individuals and groups can take initiatives that make it possible for the Finnish and Swedish Athletics Association to arrange Finnkampen this special year as well," the association writes in a letter addressed to other Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S), Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) and Minister of Sports Amanda Lind (MP).

"Very urgent"

The Finnkampen is supposed to take place on 5-6 September in Tampere - but whether Daniel Ståhl, Armand Duplantis, Angelica Bengtsson & Co will be released across the Finnish border is highly uncertain given the travel ban into the country.

- Finnkampen is the world's oldest international match. So we are very anxious that the competition can be completed. But it has to do with how the Finnish authorities view the opportunities for Swedes to travel to Finland, so there we want our Swedish politicians to influence their Finnish colleagues, says Johan Storåkers, chairman of the Swedish Athletics Association, to DN.

In addition to the ministers, the letter must also have been sent to high-ranking political officials in Sweden and representatives of the Public Health Agency.

Produced health protocols

To ensure that the competition is healthy, the association has in the letter highlighted several possible measures: coronation of all Swedish athletes and coaches before departure, skip the youth class in Finnkampen and that a maximum of 70 people per day fly over to Tampere from Sweden.

- We have come a long way in producing a health protocol and believe that we have looked very carefully at the safety situation from a health perspective, says Johan Storåkers.