On Tuesday, Finnish wrestling got a fresh success in the prestigious competition, when Tino Ojala took the European Championship in Bucharest in the European Youth Wrestling Championship. Jonni Sarkkinen wrestled his way to Wednesday’s final.
Mika Halonen,
STT Sports
Tino Ojala beat Georgia in the under-23 series in the 63-kilogram final Giorgi Shotadzen 5 to 4.
The Georgian is the European champion in the U17, U20 and U23 age groups. Ojala is still a “minor” for age group EC competitions and will be able to participate in the 23-year-old series in another three years.
The championship is Ojala, 21, who represents Helsinki Haka, the first prestigious medal. He joined a rare group, because in the past only Finnish under-23 European Championship golds have been able to celebrate Petra Olli in 2015 and 2017 and Arvi Savolainen in 2019.
Ojala cleared his way to the finals with his wins on Monday. Ojala won Greece first By Ioannis Petkos 9–0 and then, after a tight fight, Moldova Vitalie Eriomencon 6-6 due to higher performance points. Ukraine fell in the semi-finals Andrii Semenchuk 7 to 5.
– Ojala’s potential has been visible for years, but the international result has let us wait. Now he wrestled according to his abilities and won tight matches with his strengths, commented the coach of the Finnish team Brother Karri Suominen.
Ojala had previously been able to represent Finland several times in competitions of different age groups, but had not reached the top ten.
Sarkkinen in the final on Wednesday
Finnish expertise will also be seen in the EC final on Wednesday, as the 20-year-old Jonni Sarkkinen advanced to the finals of the 82 kg division by defeating Georgia in the semifinals Saba Mamaladzen 3 to 1. Sarkkinen will face the reigning youth world champion, Norway, in the final Exauce Mukubun.
– Great wrestling from the Finns, stretching and will to fight has been found from the whole team. Tino believed in himself and wrestled with his own strengths to a wonderful final. That’s where hard work got the best reward. Jonni won three previous medalist competitions and is fighting for the championship, coach Suominen was happy.
Remember the Finns on Tuesday in the 72 kg Seinäjoki Paini-Miesten series Joni Kompa beat Slovakia in their opening match Oliver Olah 11–0, but suffered a loss to Azerbaijan in their second match Gurban for Gurbanov 1–4. Gurbanov made it to the final match, so Komppa gets to apply for a place in the bronze medal match through Wednesday morning’s collections.
On Wednesday, the female wrestlers will start their work and the only female wrestler of the Finnish team will get on the mat Taru Vainionpää. The opening opponent of Vainionpää, representing Kuortanen Kunto, comes from the match of the equalization round, where they face Ukraine Snezhana Onufrieva and Turkey Zehra Demirhan.