If history is anything to go by, there will be a dozen future medalists in the adult competition competing in Espoo. A Finnish medalist in the adult series is also likely, writes Atte Husu.
Atte Husu
In Espoo, for the 14th time, the under-23 European Championship medals in athletics are being fought for.
The games will feature dozens of athletes who have the potential to win medals in prestigious adult competitions in the coming years. Some CVs already have success at the adult level.
British among others Keely Hodgkinson, 21, is an Olympic and World Cup silver medalist in the 800 meters and a European champion. Lithuania Mykolas Alekna, 20, threw the European Championship gold and World Championship silver in the discus last year. Greek Elina Tzengko20, is the reigning European javelin champion.
The Finns, who have already won gold at the under-23 European Championships in Espoo, are aiming for similar feats Saga Vanninen and a mortar thrower Silja Kosonen as well as endurance runners who have achieved duller medals Eemil Helandermiddle distance runner Veera Mattilaa triple jumper Jessica Kähäräa shot putter Emilia Fabric and a walker Jerry Jokinen.
After Friday, the Finnish team has seven medals. In the light of history, at least one of the medalists in question will get on the podium to win a personal prize medal also in adult outdoor track competitions, i.e. at the Olympics, World Championships or European Championships.
This became apparent when Urheilu studied the merit list of athletes who won an individual medal at the European Championships under the age of 23 in the adult category. There were a little over 1,500 medalists to be considered.
317 of them, or about 21 percent, have received at least one individual medal for adults at the Olympic Games or the World Championships or EC Championships on outdoor tracks. There are 85 Olympic medalists, or just under six percent.
Before the Espoo Games, 40 Finns have a personal European Championship medal under the age of 23. Seven of them, or just under 18 percent, have realized their potential also in the form of an adult medal.
The gold medalists are strongly on display
When individual competitions are taken into account, the European Under-23 Championship has seen a total of 508 champions between 1997 and 2021.
The champions in question were also more likely to succeed than other medalists: out of 508 youth gold medalists, 173 were able to win a medal in adults. So 34 percent.
When looking at the medalists of the under-23 European Championships and their development, the most successful adults have been seen at the Ostrava Games in 2011.
At that time, no fewer than 44 athletes who won an individual medal have an adult individual medal of honor later in their career.
Of the medalists of the 2021 youth games, 12 have already achieved an Olympic medal or a precious metal at the World Championships or European Championships on outdoor tracks at the adult level.
Length number one
Most of the youth medalists have reached adult medals in the women’s long jump. In that, 15 of the 39 medalists, or 38 percent, have been seen later in their career on the podium in prestigious adult competitions.
On Friday in Espoo, we saw a historic performance from the Finnish track and field athletes, when they collected no less than five medals.
The previous record was from 1997. At that time Pietari Skyttä and Matti Närhi achieved a double victory in the javelin on the closing day of the Turku Games, Annemari Kiekara (os Sandell) won silver at 10,000 meters and Heli Koivula took bronze in the triple jump.
A youth medal does not guarantee success in adults, but in the light of the statistics, it is likely for Finns that at least one of today’s young talents will be seen on the podium in the coming years also in adult competitions.