Wilma Murto chewed on her heavy disappointment: “Hell tough” – the coach was totally surprised | Sport

Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.

Pole vaulter Wilma Murto proved to everyone again in the Olympic finals that he is an athlete of big games. Murro’s starting point in Paris was far from the best, but he nevertheless bent his season-best 470.

The Finn reached the top eight in the race, sharing the sixth place. Three years ago, at the Tokyo Olympics, he shared fifth place. The break is in the Paris athletics of the javelin throwers Silja Kosonen and Krista Tervon after the third Finn who reached the top 8 place, i.e. the points.

Australia won the gold Nina Kennedy a season-best 490 ahead of the USA Katie Moon (485) and Canada Alysha Newman with his country’s record 485.

Murro’s coach Jarno Koivunen was surprised that Murto was able to clear 470. Heights 440, 460 and 470 were exceeded by the first ones.

However, 480 was too much.

– I would have been satisfied with 460 already. Does not matter. It wasn’t a perfect jump. There was a splash in every direction, Koivunen commented during the race with a big smile on his face.

“Tough as hell”

Murto stayed with his coach Koivunen for a long time after his race. The Finnish star had her emotions on the surface. Koivunen gave him a warm hug.

Murto, who made a great breakthrough to the international top in recent years, started the Olympic year with big goals. There was a full chance for a gold medal, but injuries have eaten away the best blade.

In the spring, he recovered from an Achilles tendon problem. After clearing it, he jumped promisingly at the GP races in Lahti and in pole vault qualifying in Rome. In the finals of the European Championship, he had problems with full speed and finished eighth.

After the European Championships, he hurt his hamstring, which kept the Finn out of competition until the Olympics. The qualification for the Olympics already looked promising. In the final race, the Finn showed again why he is a tough competitor today.

– This has been hellishly tough, Murto summed up for Urheilu.

– Especially the last eight weeks since Rome. No situation in my career has ever hit me as hard as this one. Both mentally and physically, Murto continued.

“If someone had asked”

After the race, Koivunen was amazed that his long-term coach was able to perform so well in the race, considering the starting points.

How did you get your athlete to take such a hit?

– I do not know. If someone had asked two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed it.

According to Koivunen, just two weeks ago, Murto would have remained at completely different numbers than 470.

– Then we jumped at a maximum speed of 12 steps. There was no hope of jumping at full speed. Time was just enough. If there had been a competition two weeks ago, Wilma would have reached 420 or 440 at her maximum.

– Sixth place from these starting points is great.

“It wasn’t like Paris”

Murto himself thought two weeks ago that there might be opportunities for 470.

– Not really until three weeks ago.

Murto stressed that sixth place was the maximum he could achieve in Paris.

– This was not the kind of Paris that I thought ten years ago, Murto said and took a short break feeling emotional.

– However, this was a better Paris than two or four months ago. At the same time really sad and at the same time really proud, Murto said through tears.

Lampela was disappointed

Elina Lampela, who is in good shape, competed in her first Olympic final.

The 26-year-old Finn exceeded the competition’s starting height of 440 on his first, but the next height of 460 was too much.

The attempts were good, but Lampela’s body hit the bar so much that it came down every time.

Lampela shared 14th place in the final with three other jumpers.

– Everyone goes above and beyond. The first one was reasonably on point, but it went off to the side and came on. The other one was a bit far. The third was really good, but the bar should have been two centimeters closer.

– It’s sad, because Elina is in good shape. There would have been opportunities to jump 470. This is pole vaulting, stated Koivunen, who gave instructions to Lampela on the spot.

A record 19 jumpers competed in the pole vault final in Paris, which brought its own challenges to the completion of the competition.

– It didn’t feel bad. In the end, time went pretty quickly.

– Apparently it was too much for me today. I thought today would pass.

Despite everything, Lampela’s season has been great. He was fourth in the European Championships. Lampela has also bent his record 463 this year.

– Right now I feel bad. When you look back at the season, you can probably be quite satisfied.