From the javelin medalist to Oliver Helander: “I’m sure no one is satisfied” | Sport

Mikaela Ingberg is happy about Oliver Helander’s first prestigious medal in his career, but misses the Finnish star’s consistency when thinking about the Olympics.

Oliver Helander continued the fine traditions of the Finnish javelin throw at the European Championship by winning bronze with a season’s best of 85.75. The competition medal is the first in his career for the 27-year-old Finn.

Helander became the 14th Finnish man to reach medals at the EC level. He was responsible for the first of them Matti Järvinen exactly 90 years ago.

Pitkämäki, who coaches Helander, has the most EC medals among javelin men, three (2006, 2010, 2014).

– There was only one successful top throw today, but it came in the right place. Hopefully this will give you such confidence and belief in your own abilities for the next time you are in a tight spot and need a longer throw, multiple javelin medalist Mikaela Ingberg states.

“No one is satisfied”

At the age of 27, Helander is currently in the best shape of his life. Already from the training season, there were tasty comments about the situation of the Finnish spearhead.

Helander, who had struggled with injuries a lot in the past, had the healthiest and best training winter of his career. The number of throws has increased and the reliability of performance has thereby improved.

Instead, he has struggled with the technical side throughout the early summer.

– He has been in very good shape physically. Me, Tero and certainly no one who follows the javelin is satisfied with the technical side. However, Oliver is physically able to make up for what he loses technically, Ingberg estimates.

Helander had had time to experience the six qualifiers and three finals in the value races before his first value race medal.

– Fortunately, that success came. However, Oliver is not a young boy anymore. It is very important to succeed in such an important place also for the Paris Games, Ingberg refers to the Olympics held at the end of summer.

A tickling situation in Paris

European Championship gold winner Jakub Vadlejch and the silver one Julian Weber are, along with Helander, the European throwers who are able to compete for medals outside of Europe as well.

In Paris, though, a superstar will be up against him Neeraj Chopra and other tough Indians as well as two-time World Cup winners, Grenada Anderson Peters.

– A throw like that is hardly enough for medals in Paris, when Chopra and Peters are also up against, among others. A really ticklish situation. Of course, when you look at the series, I would like him to get good relaxed performances with his first throws. Now he was playing a risky game.