Winning an Olympic medal would have required a miracle from Wilma Murro. Taking into account the starting points, the final performance came close to perfection, writes Atte Husu.
7.8. 23:44•Updated 7.8. 23:48
Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.
PARIS. 56 days without competitions. 163 days of training with problems full of compensatory measures.
Wilma Murto arrived at the Olympics with a mission to make the impossible possible. Getting into the medal fight would require a miracle.
Women’s pole vaulting has been in the Olympic program since 2000. None of the athletes who have reached medals have arrived at the five ring games from similar starting points, let alone from a competition break.
Murro’s task became difficult even before Wednesday, when 20 jumpers were taken from the qualification to the final. Although Greek Ariadni Adamapoulou due to the absence, the number of finalists dropped to 19, the final stretched to a record length. The duration was finally three and a half hours.
Murto, who cleared the heights of 440, 460 and 470 on his first attempt, was able to jump for the fourth time, after nearly two hours had passed in the final.
When the rhythm of the competition is like this, the competition routine plays an even bigger role. Murro’s difficulties can be seen especially in his speed run, which is not of the same class as two years ago in the victorious Munich EC final. In addition, the challenge was to jump with big wings.
The fact that Murto exceeded 470 in the final and finished sixth is a sensation considering all the factors.
See Murro’s last attempt from height 480:
Hilly features
The Olympic final in Paris was proof of what kind of competitor Murto is.
Murto once again got everything that could be taken out of his machine. Starting with the EC Indoor Championships in Torun three years ago, the pole vault star from Salon Vilppaa has reached every ranking final and jumped there in the upper register of his level of the season.
The result proven on Wednesday underlines how tough the base level is for Murro.
In recent history, the corresponding routine can only be connected Tero Pitkämäki. When he stays healthy, Murto belongs to the absolute elite of his sport.
Murto has now competed in seven value competition finals in a row. They have produced places 6, 5, 6, 1, 1, 3 and 6. The repetition of results is like a long hill.
The fact that the medal level moves only 15 centimeters away with such a health history opens up a huge view to 2025. At that time, the World Championships will be held in Tokyo. If Murto gets to the season healthy, everyone can conclude what the upper register can mean then.
The competition seen on Wednesday was a kind of women’s pole vault world record based on the starting point.
See the winning jump of Nina Kennedy, who won the pole vault final, and the result of the race: