Finn throws Olympic distance with old Nokia

A Finnish teenager won a mobile phone throwing contest today by hurling his old Nokia phone 101.46 metres.

The annual contest is one of many offbeat events such as wife-carrying that are held in the summer when normally reserved Finns like to celebrate the warmer weather with silliness and outdoor sport.

Ere Karjalainen, who beat around 50 contestants, including some who had travelled from England and India, said he had practiced only once and prepared mainly "by drinking".

Not that the skills are totally comparable, but he bettered the gold medal javelin throw at the London Olympics by nearly 17 metres.

Finland is home to Nokia and is one of the world's most mature mobile phone markets, with people paying for tram tickets and parking spaces with their phones.