World Sauna Championships Finalist Vladimir Ladyzhensky DIES At Event (PHOTOS)

A Russian finalist at the World Sauna Championships in Finland died Saturday and the event was suspended, according to the organizers, the AP reported.

Both of the event's finalists -- Russia's Vladimir Ladyzhensky and Finland's Timo Kaukonen -- were rushed to the hospital after collapsing during the competition, in which contestants are made to endure temperatures of 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius) for as long as they can. Ladyzhensky later died.

The event, which has been held since 1999, was taking place in Heinola, Finland, which is 86 miles north of Helsinki.

While police have launched an investigation, the organizer of the event, Ossi Arvela, said in a statement: "All the rules were followed and there was enough first aid personnel. All the competitors needed to sign in to the competition with a doctor's certificate."

The Finnish news agency STT reported that both men suffered burns on their body and that the competition was cut short after six minutes, according to AFP.

Kaukonen had won the competition 5 times.

See photos from the event below -- WARNING: Some of the images may be upsetting.

Ladyzhensky is removed from the sauna after apparently being burnt during the final.

Ladyzhensky after being removed from the sauna.

Ladyzhensky (L) and Kaukonen sit during the men's final.

The Sauna

Comments

[Brickster]

04:25 PM on 08/16/2010

2nd prize is TWO trips inside the 230-degree sauna!

[MorpheusXNYC]

02:40 PM on 08/16/2010

SERIOUSLY? This is an event?? Why is this not renamed the Darwin Award Finals?

[santiago sherwood]

07:47 PM on 08/15/2010

this is one of the most idiotic competitions. I am surprised it has not happened more often.

[NightOfTheHuntr]

07:17 PM on 08/15/2010

this is making me sick, why would you want to be cooked alive?

[CFL68]

06:32 PM on 08/15/2010

The man has clearly been cooked.

Is that skin slaughing off?

[dim]

02:28 PM on 08/16/2010

Ointment for burns.

[KBHoleN1]

01:54 PM on 08/17/2010

LOOK at the second picture. That's his outer layer of skin hanging off of his arms.

[Chris 54321]

10:01 AM on 08/15/2010

A testimony to the human spirit - when one has a cause to believe in...I guess.
Apparently we humans can endure great hardship - to demonstrate our ego is bigger than than the next mans....I guess this activity is the local version of owning a Hummer.
Sad it took a loss of life before the decision makers realized this too was a senseless ego activity.

[BLACKCAT66]

01:05 PM on 08/13/2010

Also in the news the winner of the glass eating contest has dropped dead.....

[NocturnoCulto]

06:47 AM on 08/13/2010

Heard about Timo from watching Superhuman on the History channel, along with a badass Shaolin monk who punches with more force than a car crash, a guy diving into 12 in. of water from a height of 33 ft (giving him more than 10 tons of weight momentarily), as well a quick-draw gunslinger who shoots faster than a rattlesnake bites- with a hand-speed of 10 G's...having used different tests on each individual to illustrate how kickass they are

Timo could handle well OVER water's boiling point because genetically & environmentally his body is accustomed to insane heat, his body temp stays relatively normal in comparison to hot/cold affecting it instead of rising/lowering as per usual human beings. His blood perfectly distributes across his skin so he's hardly even affected by it, the heat test they used on him has a legal limit for humane purposes- he surpassed it, maxing out the scales..

His talent may not be as snazzy and respectively kickass as the aforementioned Superhumans, but ragging on the guy when you know absolutely nothing about Finnish culture & traditions is just blatant ignorance. Every country in the WORLD has a seemingly absurd tradition/sport/pastime when viewed from an outside perspective..

Hell, look supposedly normal pastimes like Formula one for instance..I think the fact they had to create restrictions to curtail their spending on the vehicles, which was nearly the budget of a SMALL COUNTRY is 100 times more ridiculous.

[HuffGeist]

11:02 PM on 08/13/2010

I watched that program too, but had mixed feelings about it. The people in it were certainly well trained for what they were doing, but I imagine these injuries were more typical than not. I do know for a fact that there is a certain level of building up a tolerance to heat for instance. I live in Phoenix and when I was training to get in shape for the fire department tests, I worked up to fast running a 120#s + of sand in a backpack up steep mountains purposely in the hottest time of the day in the summer, which was often in the 112-116 F degree range. I never had a problem, but I also worked up to this. Even at these temperatures, I know it could have been lethal without precautions and knowledge and would probably be a very bad idea for most people to even attempt to do. Nothing superhuman there, but still dangerous.

I think that this incident was almost inevitable, as they were going to continue to push themselves further and further. Nothing against the Finnish or others who partake of this activity, but the results speak for themselves. People will always enjoy taking foolish risks (including me) and some cultures revolve around it, but it is still a somewhat foolhardy undertaking. Anyway, I wish a speedy recovery to Timo and lament the passing of his competitor. Humans have limits and they unfortunately found them.

[Higgs Boson]

04:37 AM on 08/13/2010

This is absolutely the stoopidist thing I have ever seen ..... a sauna contest ?

[Sam Sam]

07:02 AM on 08/14/2010

If this is stupidiest or (stoopidist) thing thay you have ever seen, I have to say that you haven't seen or heard a lot. There are several other stupid competetions or races alla around the world every week and people get killed in those.

[fanofariana]

01:13 PM on 08/12/2010

Wish they had similar contest in MN and Alaska...I know of a couple of dumbs who would happily join!

[futbol4fun]

12:35 PM on 08/12/2010

Who would have thought that trying to endure temperatures of 230 degrees, for as long as possible could lead to one's death? Their contribution to the gene pool will not be missed.

[Chris 54321]

10:04 AM on 08/15/2010

ha ha ...thats funny. I suspect however, given their apparent ages - we might be too late.

[life-of-riley]

10:44 AM on 08/12/2010

It was a hotly contested affair, however, in the end the Russian was eliminated in the finals.

[Sam Sam]

07:06 AM on 08/14/2010

If the russian has cheatest in qualification round - using vaseline or similar stuff. There is a change that his cheating caused his death, because he couldn't feel the heat and pain. Maybe final would have be over quicker and also Finn had survived with smaller damages.

[Lauri Uln]

10:45 PM on 08/11/2010

Even my dog (13 years old) likes 80 degrees (celsius) sauna.

[Lauri Uln]

10:28 PM on 08/11/2010

If someone's so stupid to wear ointments in sauna its no surprise if one gets killed. That's not skin that's wearing off Mr Russian Guy, thats some kind of foil out of oils etc. (skin burnt to that foil maybe).
If its too much to ask from the people who never have been in the sauna, would you please shut up.

[ryaninaustin]

02:01 PM on 08/14/2010

that *is* skin. the pink you're seeing in that photo is dermis (the layer of skin below epidermis). this man's body is covered in second degree burns and probably some third degree.
if it's not too much to ask, please stop spreading your misinformation. it really makes you sound dumb.

[Chris 54321]

10:08 AM on 08/15/2010

...very right and very diplomatic!
..Fanned!

[abuja19]

07:25 PM on 08/11/2010

A senseless death and for what? Winning a sauna competition? (shakes head)

[calluna]

10:46 AM on 08/13/2010

You could say that about any other form of competition as well.