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Lassi Etelätalo last competed in the European Athletics Championships eight years ago. At that time, he could almost already smell the scent of the medal in his nose – until the Czech Republic Vitezslav Vesely threw so far in the fifth round that he took silver and broke the Finnish front Antti Ruuskanen – Tero Pitkämäki – Lassi Etelätalo.
– That medal was already in that hand for a while when Finland had a triple lead, but Vesely went to grab it for himself. Vesely was not at the World Championships, but let’s take revenge now, Etelätalo smiled on the eve of the European Championships.
Both Ruuskanen and Pitkämäki of the Finnish throwers at the European Championships in Zurich have already retired from competing, but the 34-year-old Etelätalo is still going. Of course, he knows that after this there won’t be many opportunities for prestigious competitions, and that’s why the idea of a medal fascinates him.
– I can’t say that I’m in any way too hungry for a medal. Of course I would like that medal, but I can’t force myself to go. Now would be a good opportunity to take that medal.
In addition to the Zurich Games, Etelätalo finished fourth at the World Championships in Doha. At the World Championships in Oregon in July, he was sixth and third among European throwers. Joensuu Kataja’s man reminds us that the European Championships are completely different competitions. He does not think that the 82.70 thrown in the World Cup final will be enough for a medal in Munich.
– It’s realistic to take a medal from there, it’s not at all wishful thinking.
There is no pop art in the exceptional stretchability
Lassi Etelätalo already said last April that he would consider the World Championships in Oregon as his main goal for the season, but that after that he would take on the Joensuu Kaleva Games and the European Championships in good shape.
It hasn’t always been a matter of course for Etelätalo, because there is an injury, if not another, in the career of the konkari thrower. Even though injuries have taken him to the dock many times, they haven’t eaten at all his downright mystically extraordinary ability to stretch.
Etelätalo has reached the final three times as the last man in the prize competitions, and in the final competition he has been able to beat the best of the season. Etelätalo itself assures that there is nothing mysterious about it.
– Big competitions ignite. There is no pop art in it, he stated.
When I was younger, Etelätalo did not have clear main competitions in the summer. In the SC competitions, he threw in the same way as in other competitions, but then came the Pihtiputaa javelin carnival.
Etelätalo participated in the carnival for the first time 21 years ago in the 13-year-old category. Pihtiputaa always had a lot of friends with them or watching, and there was a good feeling at the games. Etelätalo often managed to improve its record precisely in the javelin carnivals.
A good feeling is important for Etelätalo even today, but above all in the last preparatory throwing exercises.
– Then it is important that you get good performances. The body will then have a good business model, and it can be implemented, Etelätalo said.
– It’s just somehow easy for me to finish the best of the season in the most important place of the season. It just fires up the body in the right way. I can stay relaxed enough in the performance and it doesn’t go overboard. Just basic things, the same good throws as in training, which have remained in the muscle memory.
Although Etelätalo said that there are no tricks to his stretching ability, he reveals that every now and then he also uses a little lighter during training.
– Sometimes such a good race has been taken, with a little betting in the background, to get yourself fired up and even set records more easily than in basic training.
A decent performance at the World Championships
Although Lassi Etelätalo was one of the Finnish winners of the World Championships in Oregon, he himself did not at least consider his qualifying performance to be successful. At that time, he threw 80.03 and reached the final by beating the bar.
In the final competition, Etelätalo found the familiar relaxation again and achieved better success.
When he immediately scored 82.70 on his second throw, he went for a really good throw at a faster speed. It didn’t quite happen, but two nearly 81-meter throws were written into the series.
– It was a decent performance. In the next place, there was about four meters left, so that place was good.
This is exactly what Etelätalo has not been able to do, but it is not far behind. At the Kaleva Games in early August, he threw 84.62 in front of the home crowd – and this throw brought Etelätalo the third Finnish championship of his career.
After the Kaleva Games, Etelätalo hasn’t done proper throwing training anymore, because the interval between then and there has been too short. He has focused on sports training, javelin running and sports-like movements with an exercise ball.
– The device stays with the training, but there will be no actual hard throws. It only seeks suitable sensations for the body.
The child brought responsibility and more precise planning
Lassi Etelätalo became a father a couple of years ago. The offspring has kept the parents busy, but according to Etelätalo, fatherhood hasn’t really affected his javelin throw – even more so everything else.
– It hasn’t made sports easier in itself, but there’s no need to think about sports at other times. You don’t have to come up with a lot of things to do, and there won’t be any dull moments. Of course, there is also responsibility. You have to think even more carefully about coming back from the exercises and not overdoing yourself. Nights have been few and far between, he admitted.
Etelätalo has not thought about his future as a javelin thrower beyond this season. For this season, he had three important competitions, two of which – the World Championships and the Kaleva competitions in Joensuu – are now behind him. The EC competitions are just ahead.
– Let’s think about what to do in the future, he was content to say.
According to Etelätalo, there is always a chance that this season would be his last. Right now he feels that this is not the case. If one more chapter were to be written in his long injury history, it would likely be career-ending.
– Hopefully there won’t be any, and I’ll be able to play sports as long as it’s meaningful and the results are good, he said.
The men’s javelin throw qualification is scheduled for Friday, August 19. at 11 a.m. (group A) and at 12:15 p.m. (group B). Etelätalo throws in the latter group.