Aatu Kangasniemi, 18, hit a handsome ball arc in Helsinki’s Liikuntamylly on Sunday.
Espoo’s Tapioen Aatu Kangasniemi won the 19-year-old competition after pushing a 6 kg shot to 20.45. The result is the best indoor result of this age group ever made in Finland.
Kangasniemi’s own outdoor track record is 20.50, and the Finnish record for the age group on outdoor tracks is 21.09.
The long ball arc came as a little surprise on Sunday.
– It was surprising that I was able to get such a good result, when I only pushed the first hard pushes in training with a 6-kilogram weight this week, Kangasniemi said in the Sports Federation’s press release.
Kangasniemi, who pushed 17.70 in the adult shot last summer, considered his result a surprise.
– It was a good push, but not perfect. We still need a little more composure in the ring.
Kangasniemi has thrown the men’s Olympic ball the longest than any other Finnish 18-year-old. Same age in 2007 Niko Hauhia pushed the adult ball 17.67.
at the age of 18 Mika Vasara has pushed 17.63, indoor world champion Mika Halvari 17.62 and Olympic champion Arsi Harju 17.60.