The Sauna World Championships have been cancelled after an elderly Russian contestant died in the final round of the event while enduring 110-degree heat.

Nearly 1,000 shocked spectators looked on as judges in the competition pulled Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy from the sauna. The amateur wrestler collapsed after water was poured on a hot stove in the room, officials said, about six minutes into the competition's final stage.

Reigning champion Timo Kaukonen of Finland was also in the sauna and had to be hospitalized. He remains in stable condition, contest spokesman Ossi Arvela said.

Images of the incident, which took place in Heinola, Finland, suggested that both men suffered severe burns. Workers were seen pouring cold water on the two contestants and administering first aid, before organizers blocked off the scene with tarps.

Ladyzhenskiy's family has demanded that his death be investigated, according to a spokesperson for the Russian charity that he worked for.

Every 30 seconds during the competition, workers added half a litre of water to a stove in the small room. The last person remaining in the sauna would be declared the winner.

More than 100 competitors from 15 countries participated in the competition, which was in its twelfth year. Arvela said the event would not be held again.

Sauna bathing is common throughout Scandinavia and Russia. Finland has an estimated 1.6 million saunas among 5 million residents, but temperatures don't normally exceed 80 degrees Celsius.

"I know this is very hard to understand to people outside Finland who are not familiar with the sauna habit," Arvela said. "It is not so unusual to have 110 degrees in a sauna -- a lot of competitors before have sat in higher temperatures than that."

According to a 2008 report, about 100 Finns die in saunas each year, a death rate of less than 2 per 100,000 residents. It attributed most of the deaths to natural causes such as heart problems. Half of the victims died while under the influence of alcohol. A quarter succumbed were due to heat exposure.

Arvala said police have launched an investigation into the event. He added that rules, temperatures and times for the competition were comparable to previous years.

With files from The Associated Press