Pole vaulter Wilma Murron the indoor season kicks off properly on Saturday, when the European champion takes part in the race held in Roubaix, France.
Murto already competed in the hall season just under three weeks ago in connection with the national team meeting held in Kuortane. In the middle of the training season, Murto broke his indoor record of 475, which was the top result in the world statistics for a while.
In the coming weeks, Murto will compete Four times in France, Birmingham and Helsinki’s SM halls. The hall season culminates in March with the European Championships organized in Istanbul, Turkey.
– It’s a pretty tight schedule when there’s a lot of traveling. However, they are good competitions with tough opponents, Murro’s coach Jarno Koivunen says.
Burglary is aggravated, among other things Marie-Julie Bonnin mixed Margot Chevnier. The young French were involved in last summer’s EC final.
A week later, the challenge gets tougher when the Finnish star takes on him Katie Nagoette. The seasoned American is the reigning Olympic champion.
– They are the toughest competitions in Europe, where top jumpers come. Some of these competitions are ones where only pole vaulting is a sport, Koivunen says.
A different goal
According to Koivunen, the only goal this season is to try longer, 475-centimeter wings. They are 15 centimeters longer than Murro’s current stock of rods.
Murto tried the tools in question already in Kuortane. A longer pole offers the possibility of higher jumps.
– It’s such a process for all these French games. Kuortane got a small insight into what is happening. However, this requires more competitions in order to be able to draw conclusions as to whether paddles with a longer arc are better in a competition situation, Koivunen says.
The 182-centimeter Murto is exceptionally tall and reachable for a female pole vaulter, which guarantees Murro a high grip height.
Recently, Murto has been using 460-centimeter wings. On the blades in question, Murro’s upper hand has been almost on the end of the tool.
Raising the grip height requires a longer stick, i.e. a 475-centimeter tool.
– If you jump with long poles, the grip height must be at least 460 centimeters so that the pole works correctly. As the larger wall bends, the arc becomes longer, Koivunen explains.
Competitive advantage over others
Koivunen says one clear advantage that a longer stick brings.
– If you can get the soap into a bigger curve, it is possible to make it bend more easily. The seipää does not have to be as stiff as with a smaller tool.
Koivunen says that the longer seipää has its advantages and challenges. Movements are expanding. A longer pole also changes the rhythms of the jump.
– Jumping with a shorter and lower grip is much easier. You have to find the ideal grip. If you take too high a grip, jumping becomes too difficult. We have to research what is the right grip for Wilma and the right stick for it.
Murro’s greatest strengths include speed and reach.
– If any of the jumpers in the world is capable of 475 jumps, it’s Wilma. For example Katerina Stefanidi is much shorter, so he has no chance with those fins. Let’s try to use Wilma’s strength for good.
– Starting from the ground determines how high you can jump. That’s Wilma’s strength. Let’s see if it gives us an advantage in relation to others.
If Murto can tame the 475-centimeter device and is able to utilize the features it offers, she will be a rare case in women’s pole vaulting. In the hall no less than 503 bent the US Jennifer Suhr has jumped with 475 bars.
– I don’t know any other female pole vaulter. It’s a really big tool for women, Koivunen states.
Koivunen reminds us that pole vaulters can jump high with different strengths.
– For example, a 480 jump can be jumped with a 430 or 465 grip. The approach angle depends on the jumper’s strength and height.
Finnish challenger
In Europe, one of Murro’s toughest competitors is Great Britain Holly Bradshaw. However, he told Urheilu that he will skip the hall season.
When thinking about the European Championships, Murro’s toughest opponents are Stefanidi from Greece and Slovenia, who won medals at last summer’s European Championships Tina Sutej.
– Then, of course, there is also Switzerland Angelica Moserwho has always been hard to compete, Koivunen refers to the defending EC indoor champion.
Koivunen also brings up an interesting Finnish name.
– Maybe Elina Lampela there is one such.
Born in 1998, Lampela is Murro’s age. The record of a jumper who appeared in the EC final is 453 jumped a couple of years ago.
Lampela is also participating in Saturday’s race in France.
– If it starts to go well, I believe that Elina will be able to climb up from her record quite well. Of course, you never know about pole vaulting. The training season has gone well. I am confident that Elina will get good results.