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The Finnish women’s pole vault is currently doing really well. Wilma Murto is an international star. Elina Lampela is fighting for the top 8 places in the value races. There were no less than four Finnish jumpers at the European Championships in Rome.
The sport also clearly has a future. In this summer’s 14-15-year-old championships held in Helsinki, there were 27 female jumpers in the 15-year-old division. A year earlier, there were 34 competitors in the same age group on the one year younger side.
Pole vaulting coach Jarno Koivunen says that the SM competitions in question do not tell the whole truth about the good situation of the age group in question.
– There were surprisingly small numbers, because there are even more jumpers in the background. However, not everyone came to jump to the WC.
When Murto won the memorable European championship two years ago, it was seen to encourage new children and especially girl jumpers to take up pole vaulting. Murto is a great role model, but today’s 14-15-year-olds’ flame for pole vaulting has been ignited before.
Murro has had a hand in that as well, as he has been a visible name in Finnish elite sports for almost ten years. He first became known in early 2016 after bending the still valid youth ME 471.
Model of the year for a reason
Ulla Helenius-Aro is a long-term athletics coach. He holds pole vaulting practices for 10–13 and 14–16 year olds in Helsinki.
Helenius-Aro has also noticed a clear boom.
– The number of girls participating is really gratifying. It is also noteworthy that the proportion of boys in general in the whole of athletics is smaller. There are male representatives, but the proportion of girls is clearly large.
Helenius-Aro is aware of Wilma Murro’s influence on junior jumpers. The children speak Murron and by Armand Duplantis of high-class star jumpers like
Helenius-Aro sees that the positive appearance of the Murro, Lampela and Andersson sisters in the media has made a clear impression on the girl jumpers.
– Wilma even received recognition for being a role model at the Sports Gala. Its impact is certainly very significant. Riders will feel like they want to try it themselves.
Helenius-Aro reminds us that a lot of good work is done for pole vaulting. There are camp activities and pole vaulting carnivals where enthusiasts get to interact.
Koivunen adds that a lot of good coaching work is done in the field of pole vaulting in Finland. Urbanization is more suitable for a sport like pole vaulting, which is based on training in indoor conditions.
– Every big city has a reasonably good training hall. Turku is starting to have such a problem that the clubhouse is so full that not everyone always fits there, Koivunen laughs.
Enthusiasts of Murro and partners
Women’s pole vaulting has been an upward trend throughout the 2000s. At the beginning of the millennium Minna Nikkanen and Vanessa Vandy were important pioneers for the sport.
Murto, born in 1998, was influenced by them, among others, who has mentioned Nikkanen as his role model. Lampela and the still competing also belong to the same age group Laura Ollikainen. When the age group in question competed in the 15-year-old championships 11 years ago, there were no less than 29 participants.
Koivunen says that Murto, Lampela and partners have started the next junior wave. The effects of Murro’s successful years are even more visible later on.
– It’s really nice to see that the visibility of the sport helps and that elite sports really have a role in increasing the exercise of children and young people, Koivunen is happy.
Also Urheilu’s expert and former pole vaulter Matti Mononen proclaims the importance of role models. He remembers last year’s 14-15-year-old championships held in Imatra, when there were more than 30 participants in the 15-year-old girls’ pole vault.
– It was clearly the largest amount compared to other field sports. Wilma’s results can certainly be seen in the fact that there are more enthusiasts on the girls’ side. It is of great importance that one’s idol can be found in one’s home country, says Mononen.
Two athletes for medals
What about future talents like Murro can be seen in the junior age groups in question?
Koivunen reminds that it is difficult to draw future prospects for really young jumpers. However, he knows that a large mass helps.
– There has to be quite a lot of mass so that they can be trained into Finnish champions and European champions. An important talent factor is speed. Fortunately, fast girls have entered our sport. If you are naturally fast, you can succeed in pole vaulting at a high level.
– The main thing is that when you’re young, you have enthusiasm and good coaching. Often, young people need their family in the background. It’s great to notice that many families are enthusiastic about the sport.
Finland has been able to respond well to the demands of modern pole vaulting on the women’s side. Koivunen says that Finland is among the top countries in Europe when the results of the three best jumpers are added together.
He adds that one cannot be satisfied with the prevailing positive situation.
– It is an established level that two are in the final, so the next three are in the final and even two with medals, Koivunen laughs about the next ambitious goal.