In July 1997, Turku organized the first under-23 European Championships in athletics. At that time, the European format, which attracted 37 countries to the Sports Park, was new and untested, but those who took part in the games eventually won around a hundred medals in various competitions for adults.
The most famous of these successful people probably later became the pitcher who represented Belarus in good times and above all in bad times Ivan Tihon.
The top athletes of Finland’s well-prepared and talented team took Finland’s record pot from the games: nine medals, three of which were gold. No fewer than seven of these medalists represented Finland in the adult competition, the triple jumper Heli Koivula up to medal level.
An old favorite
On the final day, July 13th, already in June, he threw more than 83 meters Matti Närhen had to win the javelin but Pietari Skytän the fourth round result of 81.58 was 86 cents better in the end. He became a shot putter by Conny Karlsson and a javelin thrower Taina Upan after the third Finnish winner of the Games.
Just two weeks after the Games, Närhi threw a record 88.24 in Soini. He represented Finland in adult competitions no less than four times.
– In Soin, Matt was helped by a strong tailwind. I would have had the capacity that season to throw maybe 85 meters under ideal conditions. Matti was a really good sports friend of mine, says Skyttä, who arrived at the Urheilupuisto’s throwing area after a long time, almost to the day 26 years later.
Skyttä, who likes to follow athletics on TV, remembers that he was last at the stadium in 2016. Then Thomas Röhler bombed over 91 meters twice at the Paavo Nurmi Games. Of course, he has visited the stadium area regularly, but in completely different patterns.
– I regularly bring my students to these rocks in the park. We study the structure of the rock, just basic studies.
Doctor of Philosophy
The EM gold remained the highlight of Skytä’s career, who started studying geology at the University of Turku in 1996. Of course, the target was in the same readings that he admired in PNG 2016.
Skyttä graduated in 2002 with a master’s degree and in 2007, he defended his doctorate in philosophy. Today, he works as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Geology.
He threw his record result of 83.28 six days after the Turku EC final in Lappeenranta, in the Kaleva Games qualifier.
Even though it was just a qualifier, the scalps were handsome: Aki Parviainen, Seppo Räty, Juha Laukkanen, Kimmo Kinnunen.
The result raises Skytä to 25th in Finland’s all-time statistics.
After the 1997 season, Skytt never broke the 80-meter mark again, and the career faded shortly after the turn of the millennium. The last quotation can be found in Tilastopaja from 2003.
But the scientific career of the Ikaalist Athletes’ thrower has been handsome: the doctor has supervised many dissertations, worked abroad, written numerous articles for scientific publications.
For the past 10 years, Skytta has been very employed by Eurajoki’s Onkalo, or nuclear waste disposal cave, in cooperation with the Radiation Protection Center.
– Within geology, my specialty is rock structure and its 3D modeling. In the case of a cavity, it is essential to know, for example, things that affect the stability of the bedrock, such as what kind of displacements there are and how water moves inside the rock. After all, the cavity has to last, for example, one ice age.
Nothing in the tooth cavity
When the career of an athlete who is considered to be a medal hope at the prestigious competition level ends at a very young age without set, hard goals, one might well think that Skyttä has sought from the academic world the feats that he did not achieve as an athlete.
– It’s not about that at all. My CV is also only at a good national level, by no means an absolute top. I’ve been quite busy, but I haven’t sought science as a substitute for a sports career. There was nothing missing from sports.
Often the career of even a very young javelin thrower is curtailed by injuries. Skyttä had suffered his own – wrist, elbow and shoulder – already in 1995–1996, before the Turku EC season.
– Health had little to do with the fact that I couldn’t get the job done anymore. The action should have been clearly more professional. I was typically at the university for lectures and reading during the day and worked out in the evening.
Direct feedback from Kinnus
From the old guard, the closest to the young man was the outspoken Kimmo Kinnunen.
– I had such a chronic technical problem that I detached the spear even before the support was on the ground. Kimmo said that nothing will happen if the spear drags the first 50 meters. It was a bit like that when it started to push, the snacks ran out. Everything was easy until it stopped being easy.
Skyttä admits that he admires athletes who still rise to the top.
– Let’s take for example Tero Pitkämäki and Wilma Murto. I think the same thing happened to me Toni NieminerSkytta laughs.
At the age of 16, Nieminen won two Olympic gold medals in ski jumping, then became silent.
You’re being coached by an Ikaalian Jussi Kuuri, a man a little under 70 meters in his active career. The cooperation was largely distance coaching after the athlete left for the army in Lahti in 1995 and then to Turku to study.
At the age of 12, Skyttä received a 400-gram javelin from his physical education teacher father. More serious throwing started at the age of 15. Ikaalinen was almost always a friend on the field Timo Blue nervewho took silver in the discus throw in 1997 in Turku.
– There was a lot of people on the field. The age groups were bigger than now, and in Ikaalis there were hardly any team sports other than baseball. These days, I go about once a summer to teach the boys the basics of javelin throwing, and it seems like there are quite a few boys.
Skyttä lives with his doctor wife in Liedo, near Turku. The sons of the family are 20, 17 and 13 years old. Stay in good shape by cycling, orienteering and in the weight room.
“In some box”
The champion remembers very few details from the Turku Games, almost nothing from the award ceremonies. Today, the medal is “in a box somewhere”.
– We probably holed up in the hotel and waited for the H-moment. It was probably the most memorable by Werner Günthör sight. A great athlete.
Today, the 62-year-old Swiss won three World Cup gold medals in the shot put ring. He was part of the support staff of the Swiss team in Turku.
Pietari Skyttä has noted that Espoo will organize the 13th-16th July, the same under-23 European Championships where he excelled 26 years ago. The summer vacation would also fit into the calendar.
– I have to admit that if this kind of memorial story is made about me, then know that one day I will go to the games.