Finland wins World Olive Picking Championship in Croatia

A team from Finland won the ninth annual World Olive Picking Championship held on the island of Brač in Croatia. Despite Finland having no olive trees, the team secured the top spot by harvesting 122.1 pounds (approximately 55.4 kilograms) of olives within a 45-minute period.

The competition, held in the town of Postira, featured 40 participants from 10 different countries. Teams consisted of two men and two women who harvested olives by hand, using traditional burlap aprons known as ‘sakete’ to collect the fruit before transferring it to crates for weighing.

The Czech Republic finished in second place with 106.7 pounds harvested, followed by Poland in third with 102.7 pounds. The event is organized by several local entities, including the Postira Tourist Board and the Postira municipal government, to promote local tourism and agricultural traditions.