There is a remarkable detail in Finnish athletics. In women’s pole vault, high jump and triple jump, Finns are at the forefront of Europe.
Wilma Murto and Elina Lampela are on the head, Senni Salminen in the triangles and Ella Junnila at the height. Murto, Salminen, Junnila and last year’s three -leaning time Kristiina Mäkelä are each value race medal in their sports.
However, women’s long jump is a confusing exception. In the 21st century, there have been no Finnish women who could have been able to crash into the final race through the qualifiers of the value races in the 21st century. The previous such athlete is Johanna Halkoahowho was tenth in the 1998 European Championships.
Now, the signs are such that there is also a Finnish woman in the long jump, who has genuine potential at least to the top of Europe.
Talented Jessica Kähärä In February, he wagered a top domestic score of 668 at the Kuortane Championships, which he went to fourth in Finland’s all-time statistics, including the outdoor track results. Above are Ringa Ropo (685), Halkoaho (679) and Taika Koilahti (669).
Kähärä’s record is the result of the class that it is a hard currency at the value race level. The 23-year-old jumper is aware that there has been no example athlete like Wilma Murro in the women’s long jump for juniors.
– I’m trying to fix it. Let’s try to jump so far that children and juniors are interested in the sport. They would continue with it and we would get tougher competition in the future, Kähärä says.
Where’s the Finnish peaks?
The peculiar situation of women’s length is underlined by the fact that long jumping is, along with running, low -threshold athletics. Director of Coaching and Education of the Finnish Sports Association Jarkko acne says that on the girls’ side, there is one of the largest hobbyists in athletics.
More typical sports in children’s and adolescents are 60 meters running, ball and length. Still, the good mass has not hatched top names to the length.
Finni recalls that many athletics have a certain wave movement. He adds that it is an exceptional situation that there are Finnish top European tops at the same time.
– Long jump is a sport where speed capacity really marks a lot. Especially when you move at the absolute top level and jump seven meters. We don’t have such types of types.
According to Finn, Kähärä is an individual with enough speed for the long jump. In a flying 20 meter run, his maximum run is hard.
Over the past 5-6 years, the situation of the species has gone better. Six years ago, Taika Koilahti was at the top of the top, including a record of 669.
Three-leaner Senni Salmis (656) and 7-match Maria from Huntington (653) has been seen in its side species good slices.
In a multi -match Saga Vanninen There is a good longitudin as a competitor. He jumped at the European Championships 5 in his record series of 652.
– We have a duel with Koilahti and Vanninen has often challenged. There has been some race in recent years, but it was quiet for a long time. The results of the six meters were the SM medals.
– I don’t know what’s up, because the length is really a competitive sport. Often, junior races also have a long list of participants. I don’t know if talents have been lost in other species, Kähärä spins.
Important change
Jessica Kähärä, too, did not seem like a potential longitudin. A few years ago, his main sport was the height, where he made his adult value debut debate, for example.
Due to ankle problems, a varied jumper who left a high jump returned to three years ago and achieved a bronze medal for the under-23 European Championships in the sport.
Last fall, there were big changes in Kähärä’s life. He moved from Jyväskylä to Turku and switched Janne Avelan for coaching Johan Meriluoto to the doctrine. Meriluoto is the finalist of the 2001 Edmonton World Championships.
Kähärä, who studied in Jyväskylä, needed new stimuli in his daily life. He has studied social sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, which he has progressed through the bachelor’s degree.
Motivating friends in Turku include Taika Koilahti.
– The last year has been lonely for studies. There has been no same group for all lectures anymore. I felt that I needed social support for sports. I liked all camps that have been done with a group, says Kähärä.
A parable of the van
Finni laughs that the main species of Kähärä has been proclaimed here. Two years ago, he both felt that Meriluoto experienced that three -leap is a more suitable sport for Kähärä to seiz the potential.
For the winter races, the main sport has changed again. With a score of 668, Kähärä redeemed a seat for the World Championships in Nanjing in China this weekend.
– Especially in this hall, the length is the main thing in the summer. It is a more body -friendly species for myself. The risk of injury is not as high as the triple jump that has had minor ailments in recent years.
Saga Vanninen and sledgehammer Silja Kosonen They are the golden bouquets of Finnish athletics.
– They are exceptions that go from the youth class quite quickly to the top of adults. Kähärä was a similar junior, but the path has been tough. Others also have those episodes that there will be no development, Finni says.
A record up to the medal level
If the length is ultimately the main type of Kähärä, it does not seem like a poor option for success. In 2012-2024, six European Championships have been held.
The result 668 would have been the third, 2014 and 2016, fourth and 2022 fifth. The level of last summer’s Roman European Championships was fierce as the medal results were 722, 694 and 691. The Finnish record would have been enough instead of ninth.
In any case, the spike result of Kähärä is a value race event, whether it’s the European Championships, the World Cup or the Olympics.
Kähärä is confident in his own potential in the long jump value races. In the World Championships, the long run is a live final and the Finn has a good chance of getting to the top eight.
– There can always be surprises in the value races. Now the bronze in the European Championships was leaving for a 675 result, but Malaika Mihambo Lastly, it stretched beyond, which increased, Kähärä points out.
Kähärä thinks that the improved performance of recent years is partly explained by new jumping shoes and platforms.
– Surprises can always happen. In itself, a super day may happen. Even in Kuortane, there was a big record improvement, so anything is possible.
World Championship Hall Women’s Length Final on Sunday starting at 4.16.
Updated 10.54: Corrected Length Race start time.