At the World Championships in Eugene, no fewer than ten Finnish athletes will receive their baptism of honor. For many, a prestigious competition place is a big achievement.
13:22•Updated 13:31
It’s only been five years since the Finnish athletics World Cup team had only 12 athletes. If there are no setbacks, in a couple of weeks in Eugene, USA, the corresponding figure will be 32. This is the biggest Finnish team at the World Cup or Olympic level since the 2005 World Cup in Helsinki.
The Helsinki team had well over 30 athletes. Athletes can be selected for the home games more easily than usual based on the selection criteria.
The size of Eugene’s World Cup team is at least partially affected by the new ranking system. Instead of one result, we look at several competitions. Rankings, which get good points, have a higher value than results.
The competitions are of different levels, so the eye for the game has been very important in the hunt for the World Cup places. A big role has been the coaching manager of the Finnish Sports Association Tuomo in Salosewho got to know the ranking thoroughly.
The athletes have understood how to get to the games. They have been looking for suitable competitions, which has been facilitated by Finland’s good competition system. There were good ranking points from the Paavo Nurme races, the Kuortanene GP races and the Oulu ranking races. In addition, Eugene’s World Cup window also coincided with the ranking competitions in Vaasa held after Midsummer last year. Reason was also used in that, so that the Finns did not compete against each other in the ranking competitions.
The system favors Finns, but the sport is also in the tailwind. A year ago in Tokyo, there were 21 athletes in the team, and in the World Championships three years ago, 22 athletes. We are far from the times when the team consisted mainly of javelin throwers and race walkers.
Reporting on the World Cup venues has caused some criticism. According to everyone, the competition venue itself is no kind of achievement.
For athletes aiming for success, it is not. For example Lassi Etelätalo, Kristiina Mäkelän, Wilma Murron and Raitanen’s top for experienced athletes like you, simply participating is not enough. For them, success in the World Championships means mostly points.
For the Finnish men’s national football team, the place in the European Championships was historic. The World Championship venue is equally historic for those track and field athletes, for whom it is the first time to represent the competition.
Although the team is exceptionally big, it does not mean a Finnish party in Eugene. About ten athletes have a chance to make it to the finals or place in the points, but a World Cup medal would be a surprise.
The European Championships held in Munich in August are the more welcoming competitions for Finns who are medal-minded.
Eugene’s World Cup team has no fewer than ten athletes who are making their senior competition debut. Also a discus thrower Salla Sipponen and race walker Elisa Neuvonen debut at World Cup and Olympic level.
There is also a pitcher in the team Tuomas Seppänen such great stories. It was thought that the peak days of the 2015 World Cup finalist were already over. In Eugene, the 36-year-old Seppänen returns to the competition level after a six-year break.
– I’m going home from here. At six in the morning to work and after the shift to train again, Seppänen told Urheilu about his daily life at the Oulu ranking competition.
Seppänen’s comment encapsulates the finesse of sport. A place in the competition is therefore a very hard achievement at best.