Juho Alasaari, who won the junior EC gold in pole vaulting, already at the age of 19 has experienced prestigious competition success in the youth series.
The under-23 European Championships in Espoo ended on Sunday in a wonderful way for Finns Juho Alasaaren pole championship as well Anni-Linnea Alanen with a bronze medal in the javelin.
The Finnish name of the night was definitely Juho Alasaari, who improved his record by 11 cents and beat, among other things, the adult EC bronze medalist Pål Haugen Lillefossen with a result of 571.
At the same time, Alasaari sided with the SE results of the under-23s. The talent born in Laihia Luja in 2003 has received little attention compared to his merits.
He has no less than two World Youth Championship medals.
– There has been no profit spike in the last four years. He has developed steadily. Last year it was 560. Now we have been waiting for suitable weather, coach Mikko Latvala comment.
The second half of the pole vault final was shaded by a little rain.
– He is versatile, skilled and good at adopting new things. He can jump in different ways in different conditions. Not all of them are good jumpers, but he can adapt to different situations, Latvala says.
According to Latvala, the training jumps gave indications that the European Championship finals will be tough.
– The practice jumps were jumped today with a slightly bigger pole than in this summer’s games. It told about charging. Has he been physically fit all summer.
Wild potential
Espoo’s Leppävaara clubhouse has an atmospheric milieu because it is right next to the grandstand. A similar place is, for example, in Kuortane.
After the race, Alasaari thanked the audience.
– This is the best thing for a pole vaulter, when you can be in front of an audience. The audience gets to experience the perspective of how high you get.
The sport also showed its downsides when the French came in second Robin Emig fell back first into a pit of sticks. He left in a wheelchair.
– It told about the danger of this sport, Lehtonen states.
In Finland, the men’s pole vault outdoor track record has already passed Jani Lehtonen 582 jumped in 1993. According to Latvala, Alasaari has the potential to reach even higher heights than the record this summer.
– With the current running and pit entry speeds and with the stiffness of the wing, he can jump 5-10 centimeters higher. It’s possible, but it requires everything to fall into place. Waiting for the second time.