Getting hitched and coming unstuck are just a couple of the challenges found in the sport of wife carrying.

On July 2, home favorites Taisto Miettinen and Katja Kovanen won the Wife Carrying World Championship in Sonkajarvi, Finland, the place where it all began.

The rules are simple – male competitors carrying a female teammate race against the clock round a special obstacle track.

Several types of carrying may be practiced: either a classic piggyback, a fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (wife upside-down on his back with her legs over the neck and shoulders).

For Miettinen, the victory marked a seventh world title, and provided consolation for the Finn's last appearance in the competition when he and his partner missed out on gold by 0.1 seconds.

Two-time defending champions Vytautas Kirkliauska and Neringa Kirkliauskiene from Lithuania had to settle for silver, while Finnish entrants Ilpo Haalisto and Jenni Piippo earned bronze.

After a two-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was plenty of support from a crowd numbering between 2,500 and 3,000, but in addition to the obstacle course, the competitors also had to contend with a sapping heat.

(With input from AP)