The World Athletics Championships ended on Sunday in Budapest.
The Finnish team won one medal and three other points. It is Finland’s best achievement in 18 years since the home games in Helsinki in 2005. At that time, there was one medal and five other points.
Finnish immigrants
Mikaela Ingberg:
The pole vaulter who won Finland’s first World Athletics medal since 2015 Wilma Murto and the 20-year-old who placed fifth in the shot put Silja Kosonen are obvious choices.
Murro’s World Cup medal is Finland’s first in pole vaulting.
In addition to them, the sixth place finisher in the 20-kilometer walk reached the top eight Aku Bearden mixed Oliver Helanderwho was seventh in the javelin.
Finns also got a total of four points from last year’s World Championships. At that time, nine points were lost, while now there are 15.
– It must be said that the women of the Turku region are tough. They know how to compete and are professionals at it despite their young age.
Kosonen flew from Budapest directly to the Junior Championship in Tampere Saga Vannisen and by Nathalie Blomqvist ways.
– Humility shines. I checked in Tampere to see if Silja comes directly from the airport! He has an iron attitude towards sports, Ingberg praises.
Jaakko Ojaniemi:
– Murto took the expected medal. He could have afforded to jump higher, but I don’t know if that would have been enough for a better ranking. Silja also succeeded very well, because she set a record (74.19).
– Partanen is also forced to raise Finland’s record. From outside it Eveliina Määttänen (800 m) was a positive surprise and was quite close to the final place (11th).
What about the whole team?
Mikaela Ingberg:
Finland’s World Cup team had a record 40 athletes. Having been in the finals of Murro, Kosonen, Helander and high jump Ella Junnilan in addition, they were able to advance through the qualifiers or heats Viivi Lehikoinen (400 m aj), Eveliina Määttänen (800 m) and Reetta Hurske (100 m drive).
Ingberg says that the World Cup went on the plus side as a whole. He brings Määttänen and By Nathalie Bloqmvist (1,500 m), who both set their records.
Saga Vanninen, who finished ninth in her first World Championships, also receives praise. The winner of the youth value competition scored 6,289 points. All three of his hardest record streaks are from this year.
– It tells about the leveling up, which he has been able to do. If he drags out three matches like that and then it goes really well, Ingberg relishes the thought.
Jaakko Ojaniemi:
According to Ojaniemi, the games were only slightly positive for Finns. Why barely?
– There would have been slightly better opportunities. There were many who did not complete the season at their best level. More was certainly expected from the spearmen. After Helander’s first WC final throw, everyone expected better.
The toughest superstars
Mikaela Ingberg:
There were no world records at this World Cup, but many superstars were tough as usual.
The three strongest names on Ingberg’s list are Holland, who won two World Cup golds Femke Bolthe US sprinter who won the triple gold Noah Lyles as well as Sweden, which once again dominated in the pole vault Armand Duplantis.
Bol had a chance for up to three golds, but he fell from the lead in the 4 x 400 meter medley relay on the opening weekend. Ingberg praises the Dutchman’s guts to win the 400-meter hurdles and lift the Dutch women to victory in the long relay with a fierce finish.
Jaakko Ojaniemi:
Ojaniemi was also impressed by the athletes who won more than one gold medal. In addition to Noah Lyles and Femke Bol, they included the Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegonwho won the championship in both 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters.
– Femke Bol was a great story. Mixed message when it ended, how did it end.
The biggest surprise
Mikaela Ingberg:
Canada. The country was second in the medal table at the World Championships with four golds and two silvers.
Ethan Katzberg was perhaps the biggest sensation of the games by emerging from outside the pre-planning to become the winner of the men’s moukaris with his record of 81.25.
– Why not also India in the javelin throw. Three of the top six finishers in the men’s final were from India.
Jaakko Ojaniemi:
Katzberg’s name can also be found in Ojaniemi’s notes.
– I wouldn’t have bet him for any medals before the Games. Women’s discus winner USA Laulauga Tausaga was also a super surprise. He improved his record by four meters in the final. It’s an unimaginably hard record improvement.
Frustration
Mikaela Ingberg:
Ingberg was troubled by the long jump and triple jump place at the World Championships. Especially in the men’s long race, many athletes were injured.
Swedish Thobias Montler stated for Aftonbladetthat the effort planks were dangerously slippery.
Nowadays, there is no longer a small podium with wax edges after the overstepping line, but oversteppings are watched in big competitions with the help of technology.
– It has not occurred to me that the wax has remained a stopper in a certain way. Now it’s like a proper banana peel to slip on, Ingberg pointed out.
– In addition, athletics lacks the utilization of good graphics. Would be able to build topics for speculation and discussion for the general public. I didn’t see anywhere that even Femke Bol’s last share time was in the messages.
Jaakko Ojaniemi:
– Germany’s lack of medals was quite a bomb, Ojaniemi sums up the biggest sporting disappointment of the Games.
North America was very dominant at the World Championships, as the United States won 12 golds and Canada four.
– First and second in the medal table. Pretty hard dominance.
Poland, which has been one of the top names in Europe in recent years, was also quiet with two silver medals. France got one silver on the final day.
Germany won the medal table of this year’s European Under-20 Championships, with no less than eight golds and 23 medal places! In Europe, Germany is still one of the great countries, but globally the gap is growing all the time.
– Last year, Germany was really strong in its own EC home games. Globally, the level is currently so tough and diverse.
– Even in that sense, Finland’s performance was good compared to the toughest European countries. In general, the Nordics managed, Ojaniemi concludes.