The 2010 Sauna World Championships ended in tragedy when one of the two finallists collapsed and died. Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy, a Russian amateur wrestler in his 60s, suffered severe burns in the bizarre annual event in the southern Finnish town of Heinola. He was pronounced dead later after he collapsed alongside reigning champion Timo Kaukonen of Finland roughly six minutes into the final round.
The 'sport' calls on participants to sit in a 225-degree (110 Celsius) room as water was tossed onto a searing stove. Medical workers pulled both men out of the sauna in front of nearly 1,000 horrified spectators.
The event, which had over 130 participants from 15 countries, had been held since 1999. It will never be held again.
