Finland at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis.^[1][2] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.^[3]

The Finnish Paralympic team consists of 26 athletes and 2 guide athletes, who compete in 11 sports. Chef de mission is Kimmo Mustonen.

Jere Forsberg earned Finland a spot at the Rio Games following his performance at the 2015 World Archery Para Championships. He qualified the country after his performance in the compound men's open. Jean Pierre Antonios earned Finland a second qualifying spot after making the round of eight in the W1 men event.^[4]

Athlete	Event and classification	Ranking round		1/16 Eliminations	1/8 Eliminations	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Finals	Final rank
		Score	Rank	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score
Jean-Pierre Antonios	Men's individual compound W1	594	12	—	Walker (GBR) L 131–123	did not advance			9
Jere Forsberg	Men's individual compound open	672	10	Dudka (POL) W 141–136	Simonelli (ITA) L 136–140	did not advance			9

Legend: W = win, L = loss

Athlete	Event and classification	Round 1		Semifinals		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Henry Manni	Men's 100 metres T34	15.78 SB	3 Q	—		15.46 PB
	Men's 800 metres T34	1:47.51	6 Q	—		1:41.92 RR	4
Esa-Pekka Mattila	Men's 100 metres T54	15.07 SB	11	—		did not advance
Amanda Kotaja	Women's 100 metres T54	16.76	6 Q	—		16.47	6
	Women's 400 metres T54	59.17 SB	10	—		did not advance
Ronja Oja Guide: Jesper Oja	Women's 100 metres T11	13.39 NR	13	did not advance
Toni Piispanen	Men's 100 metres T51	—				22.02	4
	Men's 400 metres T51	—				1:30.27	6
Leo-Pekka Tähti	Men's 100 metres T54	14.00	1 Q	—		13.90

Legend: SB = season best, Q = qualified by place, PB = personal best, RR = European record, NR = Finnish record

Athlete	Event and classification	Final
		Result	Rank
Marjaana Heikkinen	Women's javelin throw F34	18.42 SB
	Women's shot put F34	6.26	7
Ronja Oja Guide: Jesper Oja	Women's long jump T11	4.30 =PB	9

Legend: SB = season best, PB = personal best

With one pathway for qualification being one highest ranked NPCs on the UCI Para-Cycling male and female Nations Ranking Lists on 31 December 2014, Finland qualified for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, assuming they continued to meet all other eligibility requirements.^[5][6]

The country earned an individual slot via the Para Equestrian Individual Ranking List Allocation method.^[7]

The Finland men's national goalball team qualified for the Rio Games after finishing second at the 2014 IBSA Goalball World Championships.^[8][9][10] Finnish women failed to qualify at the 2014 World Championships, finishing two spots out of medal contention in fifth place at the home hosted event.^[10] Finland's men enter the tournament ranked 6th in the world.^[11]

The following is the Finland roster in the men's goalball tournament of the 2016 Summer Paralympics.^[12]

Team	Event	Preliminary					Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Gold / Bronze	Rank
		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score
Finland men's	Men's tournament	Lithuania (LTU) L 6–13	Turkey (TUR) L 5–8	United States (USA) L 2–6	China (CHN) W 11–7	5	did not advance			9

Legend: W = win, L = loss

One pathway for qualifying for Rio involved having a boat have top seven finish at the 2015 Combined World Championships in a medal event where the country had nor already qualified through via the 2014 IFDS Sailing World Championships. Finland qualified for the 2016 Games under this criterion in the 2.4m event with a thirteenth-place finish overall and the third country who had not qualified via the 2014 Championships. The boat was crewed by Niko Salomaa.^[13][14][15]

Legend: 14 = excluded score

The first opportunity to qualify for shooting at the Rio Games took place at the 2014 IPC Shooting World Championships in Suhl. Shooters earned spots for their NPC. Finland earned a qualifying spot at this competition in the R5 – 10m Air Rifle Prone Mixed SH2 event as a result of the performance of Minna Sinikka Leinonen.^[16][17][18]

Legend: Q = qualified for the next phase

Athlete	Event and classification	Preliminaries			Round 1	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Finals	Rank
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result
Esa Miettinen	Men's individual C9	Cabestany (FRA) L 0–3	Last (NED) L 2–3	3	did not advance

Legend: L = loss

• Finland at the 2016 Summer Olympics