Sauna Competition Ends in Death

Some contests aren’t worth winning, and fortunately this one won’t ever be held again. A Russian man attempting to win the Sauna World Cup Championships, held annually in Finland, died Saturday night after suffering severe burns from the competition. The man, Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy of Novosibirsk, Russia, was said to be in his sixties. He collapsed alongside the reigning champion just minutes into the final round and was pulled out of the sauna bleeding and pronounced dead afterward. His competitor, Timo Kaukonen of Finland, is in stable condition at a hospital. The contest, which requires sitting in a sauna heated to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, drew 130 competitors from 15 countries and nearly 1,000 competitors. Held since 1999, the prize for winning, said a spokesman, is just “some small things.” Ladyzhenskiy's family has demanded an investigation.