The World Championships in Athletics will be held in Budapest from 19 to 27. August. broadcasts the races on its channels.
The Kaleva games in Lahti offered fierce battles for seconds and centimeters for the championship medals, but in addition to these, important information was gained about Finland’s fiercest World Cup hopes.
Sports experts Jaakko Ojaniemi and Tuomas Raja agreed that these successful candidates gave good performances at the World Championships in Budapest.
– Wilma Murto is our biggest medal candidate. Finland has not received a medal for many years, and the previous women’s medal was from 1995. It is now in Wilma’s hands, and she has the opportunities, Tuomas Raja said.
In Ojaniemi’s opinion, the basic jumps of the European pole vault champion look so good at the moment, that he knows well for the World Championships.
Murto tried to get a feel for the new fences at the Kaleva Games. Raja reminds that an athlete needs experience and a cool head to be able to change wings in the middle of the season.
– That requires the right top athlete material. It’s a tough trick, but Wilma is the kind of athlete who can do tough tricks.
Murto, who was the first Finnish woman to win a competition in the London Diamond League, is second in international statistics with a result of 4.80. Only the United States is ahead of him Katie Moonwhich Murto won in London.
The spear soup did not boil
Before the Kaleva Games, the men’s javelin throw was once again planned for selection, but the weekend’s games did not offer any additional spices for this. According to Urheilu’s experts, a trio will go to Budapest Oliver Helander, Toni Kuusela and EC bronze medalist Lassi Etelätalo.
– We received such signals from Lassi that he will definitely be in competitive shape in a month as an experienced athlete. He showed confidence in his throws and dared to finish better. He got three valid throws, expert Mikaela Ingberg said.
Etelätalo was on break before the Kaleva Games because of a sore heel and a torn gluteal muscle.
Helander has been Finland’s number one pitcher this season. In June in Turku, he threw the domestic best result of the season 87.32, with which he is in fifth place in international statistics. Helander was able to throw 85.32 for his winning result in Lahti.
– In practice, even his worst throw carried almost 80 meters. It’s a very good sign, Ingberg said.
Kosonen needs more dimension to the basic level
Scoundrel thrower Silja Kosonen has shown a hard, steady level of results this season. During the summer, Kosonen has already thrown over 73 meters six times and won the Finnish championship with a result of 73.54.
– If Silja could build up a small fitness spike towards the World Championships, get it a meter or two more to the basic level, then he would even fight for medals, Ojaniemi said.
Kosonen’s record is 73.78 thrown in June. Ojaniemi believes that the 20-year-old pitcher has good opportunities Krista Tervon to SE readings of 74.40.
– However, he has thrown so many throws within that meter, so he definitely has SE readings or even 75 meters in stock.
Raja reminded that even SE readings on international fields do not allow you to join the top fight. Currently, for example, the United States Brooke Andersen has thrown 80.17 as the top result of the season.
– I wouldn’t name him as a medal candidate, but to fight for good points positions, Raja said and stated that Kosonen is in good shape with a good qualification in mind.
– You always have to think about qualifying first, and then you ask for certainty. Silja has now found that certainty.
International level performances at the Kaleva Games
Top sports director of the Finnish Sports Federation Jani Tanskanen was overall satisfied with the results of the WC athletes in the Kaleva Games. Top athletes showed consistency and their level by taking championships with quite good results.
– At the Kaleva Games, there were even more international level performances. Perhaps the crown will be Aku’s Finnish record on Thursday, Tanskanen said.
Brother-Matti “Aku” Partanen walked to the overwhelming 20 kilometer championship in Finland’s record time of 1:19:25. This is how he literally crushed his coach Valentin Kononen 1.20.42 of SE time made in May 2000. In international statistics, Partanen is in 15th place in this division.
Sunday was the last day of competition to break the World Cup limits and hunt for ranking points. According to Danskanen, the selections will be made this week according to the selection system.
– The size of the Finnish team is about 30 athletes, maybe a few more, he said.
Even one medal is a tough thing
The sports association does not set medal or points goals. However, Tanskanen believes that there are athletes in the team who set a medal as their goal.
– Our task then is to support them in achieving their goals. To help in the best possible way and to create a good spirit so that they can do their best performance in the World Cup.
Even if the Finnish people would like to see the team have medal goals, Tuomas Raja would not set them either. Finland’s previous World Cup medal was eight years ago, when Tero Pitkämäki achieved bronze in javelin. Before this, Pitkämäki had brought World Championship silver in 2013 and World Championship gold in 2007.
The previous World Cup medal that was brought by someone other than Pitkämäki is Tommi Evilän long bronze from the home games in 2005. Mikaela Ingberg has brought the previous Finnish women’s World Cup medal, when she got bronze in the javelin throw in 1995.
– This tells you how tough these World Cups are. Athletics is a huge, global sport of 200 countries. It would be great to get back to the medal base, but even one medal is a big deal for the Finnish team, Raja said.
The World Championships in Athletics will be held in Budapest from 19 to 27. August. broadcasts the races on its channels.