Enni Virjosen, 16, has a quality where she is even ahead of superstar Saga Vanni – a fascinating revelation from her mother | Sport

Youth EC gold. Two junior world championships. Under-23 European Championship. A septuagenarian Saga Vannisen the statistics line for the youth value competition is complete. In addition to this, at the age of 20, he has the second best score of all in Finland, 6,391.

So let’s talk about a real superstar of the youth series.

When someone is able to break the Finnish record in the name of a wild junior athlete, we are talking about another real top talent. Only 16 years old Enni Virjonen broke Vanninen’s 17-year-old girls’ 5-match SE record, which was considered unbeatable, in January, with 4,287 points.

The athletics talent born in 2007, representing the Turku Sports Association, beat the previous SE by 63 points. Virjonen did not emerge from obscurity, as he was third in the 7-match event at the European Youth Olympic Festival last summer.

Virjonen admits that breaking Vanninen’s Finnish record feels particularly great.

– He has made such wonderful achievements. I have watched from the side and thought that it would be nice to be able to achieve such achievements myself.

Vanninen is a kind of role model and example for Virjones, who is four years younger. Among the contestants, he also names the USA superstar as a role model Anna Hall.

– There is also one example from outside the match. She is Wilma Murtogood-natured Virjonen says.

A faster version of Vanni

Virjonen missed his hurdles record of 8.33 in the match in Tampere. He set his new record in height (177).

In other 5-match sports, Virjonen has pushed the ball with a best time of 15.68, jumped a length of 573 (outdoors) and ran 800 meters (outdoors) in 2.23.51.

Vanninen’s series from four years ago and Virjonen’s most recent series have a lot of similarities. Urheilu’s expert and former 10-player Jaakko Ojaniemi considers Virjos a really potential name for multi-matches.

Compared to Vannine, Virjonen stands out for his speed. Last summer, at the age of 16, he ran 200 meters in 24.32 and 800 meters in 2.23.51.

At the same age, Vanninen’s corresponding times were 24.94 and 2.27.38. His current 200 meter record is only two hundredths better than Virjonen’s.

– He is a faster version of Saga. Hurdles are relatively at the same level, but the smooth ones have gone hard. In that sense, a really potential athlete, because speed is a key factor in the 7 game. Maybe even more important than in the 10-game match, says Ojaniemi.

The 16-year-old athlete is on the same lines.

– I think one strong sport is the 100-meter hurdles. It gets better towards the end. Height is also a strong species, although there is some uncertainty. Also 200 meters, height and shot put are good sports.

Virjo’s coaching mother Petra Virjonen also increases speed as one of its strong points.

– Enni has developed steadily all along. The speed has also improved all the time. He has a good chance to rise to the top, Petra Virjonen sees.

Jarno Koivunen with help

Also Enni’s parents, mother Petra and father Tero Virjonen are former top multi-sport athletes. They competed, among other things, at the national team level.

Born in 2007, Virjonen says that he has been on the athletics fields since he learned to walk.

– I have been taken to the field since I was little and I have clearly liked being there. I practiced balance beam gymnastics for ten years, but I stopped it when I was 12 years old.

Ojaniemi is happy to receive the information about the background of balance gymnastics. A versatile sport is very useful in any sport.

Virjonen has a big background team around him. He is being coached in Kuula Mika Lönnbladace of spades Raimo Hukkanen-Laaksonen and in height Susann Sundkvist.

– During the academy shifts, he has been able to do gymnastics with the pole vaulters. Jarno Koivunen has been helpful in that, Petra Virjonen refers to Wilma Murro’s personal trainer.

Potential for the top of the world

One of Virjonen’s summer goals, who will turn 17 in the spring, is the European Championships for under-18s. He also wants to make his debut at the Kaleva Games.

In the summer of 2025, a rare opportunity will open up for him, because that’s when the European Championship for under-20s will be held in Tampere. The age group of the event consists of track and field athletes born in 2006–2007.

– The goal is to develop in as many sports as possible in order to be in the best possible shape there, Virjonen predicts.

Even if, based on the current situation, Virjonen’s future seems to be in the 7-match, the athlete himself has not locked his final sport yet.

– The match is versatile and it’s good to switch to one sport if you ever think about it. With these prospects, however, I aim for the match, says Virjonen.

Coach mother Virjonen sees that Enni has a great view of the match.

– The 7-match is a very good sport, because he doesn’t really have any sport in which he would squat. He is equally strong in many sports and also likes to practice versatilely. Of course, the athlete’s own motivation is the most important. If you sometimes want to focus on something, there is hardly any obstacle.

Jaakko Ojaniemi also feels that young Virjonen could make a great career as a matchmaker. If Virjonen leans towards the match, in the future we may be in a situation where Finland has two international top-level 7s players at the same time.

– Every year from now on will be interesting and big strides will be made. That’s what development should be when aiming for the top of the world. Of course, staying healthy is important. I suddenly don’t see any other obstacle why you can’t get to the top of the world.