Why did Oliver Helander switch Monaco to Mikkeli? Why doesn’t Lappeenranta organize the men’s javelin throw at all? The sports federation is hot as hell for the managers of the javelin stars, writes Pekka Holopainen.
Pekka Holopainen Sports journalist
The men’s javelin throw is the traditional topic of the Finnish athletics summer. Speculation has often been related to how to evaluate the value competition performances given by top performers, but now the ground is different.
Oliver Helander has already been selected for the World Championships, and also another athlete from the Prosport Finland management office Toni Kuusela is practically a sure name.
At the center of Sydänkäsä’s spear conflict are these gentlemen, the manager’s office and the Sports Association, which feels that it has been cheated.
The association’s competition manager Mika Muukka received a competition application from Mikkeli towards the end of last year. A national competition for the sports park was applied for on July 21, which was granted.
A complete shock
Kuplet’s plot was revealed when the athlete procurer of the Lappeenranta GP, a competition in the flagship series of the Sports Association, to be held two days earlier Mauri Auvinen began recruiting male javelin throwers.
The sport is still an important attraction of competitions and Lappeenranta’s Kimpine is the most traditional javelin arena.
In the past years, Prosport Finland from Kuopio ie Juha and Jarno Lindblom the company’s customer athlete Antti Ruuskanen could acknowledge Lappeenranta almost and Helander’s coach Tero Pitkämäki even starting money of more than 10,000 euros.
It came as a shock to Auvis and the Sports Federation that the country’s number one throwers had already been recruited to the Mikkeli Games, in the construction of which the men’s background forces are strongly involved. Mikkeli Games, on the other hand, kept its true nature hidden until early summer, until it became clear that the country’s top two were coming.
At this point, Lappeenranta had to drop the men’s javelin. The sports association was completely enraged, because it has given the financiers of its main tour at least a tacit promise, according to which the Finnish peaks will be present with a very high percentage in all competitions.
This, in turn, guarantees high media consumption figures, which sponsors are most interested in.
Would not have been given
What makes the case particularly interesting is that the Sports Federation would not have included Mikkeli Games in the competition calendar at this time if it had known that Mikkeli was a direct competitor to the Lappeenranta GP and torpedoed its appeal.
The competitions can be held even without the federation’s blessing, but the results do not end up in the statistics.
One of the union’s exasperated leaders says anonymously that when SUL again looks through competition applications at the end of the year, the direction of Etelä-Savo will be under strong special scrutiny. They say the second trick won’t work.
The sports association has nothing against Mikkeli taking a strong role in athletics. The last time such hard throwers were seen in the city was 30 years ago. Seppo Räty then left the Kaleva Games as a champion for the World Championships in Stuttgart, where he then uttered his thoughts about the host country that have become folklore.
However, what we have seen now does not seem like the start of fruitful cooperation.
A special choice
Helander’s choice of competition seems special in every way. From the point of view of top sports, he should throw it better in Lappeenranta than in Mikkeli, but in the Monaco Diamond League, the World Cup general, to be organized on July 21. The place would have come off easily.
Helander thus risks his place in Eugene’s September, Diamond League’s lucrative final event.
In elite sports circles, coach Pitkämäki’s role in the matter in particular arouses wonder.
Urheilu talked with Prosport Finland’s Juha Lindblom. The manager, who had been at odds with the Sports Confederation before, was mildly amused at the contact.
– Takamus can withstand the wrath of the union. Athletes decide where they compete. In general, the Finnish federation and sports system with its monopolies needs a shake-up. If it can be promoted like this, by a little fencing, then let it be a thing of the past.
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