In the London Diamond League pole vault, the conditions were not ideal, but Wilma Murtoa the headwind or even the new fins didn’t bother me. She became the first Finnish woman to win the Diamond League competition and at the same time defeated the reigning world champion, by Katie Moon.
– After the competition, I thought that someone would tell the “stats”. I didn’t know the facts myself, Murto, reached by phone, laughed at the information about his historic victory.
– I feel that the Diamond League victory goes to the same “hoods” as those EC medals and possibly future World Cup medals. I value the achievement very highly. That’s a big deal for me.
Murro, who won European Championship gold last summer with a SE result of 4.85, had a winning result of 4.80. He got to try the new Finnish record height of 4.86 three times. Even though he didn’t set a new record this time, he was already satisfied that he was able to try from such a high place.
– It’s always a big deal to be able to try Finnish records and my own records. I go to those heights quite confidently these days. It’s a jump like any other. I’m in such a condition that it could go over, Murto said.
Urheilu’s expert who followed the competition via stream Tuomas Raja was convinced of Murro’s calm and confident performance throughout the competition.
Raja reminded that even getting to the Diamond League competition means that the athlete is at an extremely hard level, the very top of the world. The competition series is well-respected among athletes, and the victory does not come to many.
Before Murto, only javelin throwers had won the Diamond League among Finnish athletes: Tero Pitkämäki and Antti Ruuskanen. Previous Finnish World Cup medalists have also been javelin throwers: Pitkämäki in 2007, 2013 and 2015, on the women’s side Mikaela Ingberg year 1995.
– Winning the Diamond League competition is a great achievement, and now Finland has an athlete who can really fight for medals at the World Championships, Raja said.
– Practically all the best pole vaulters in the world participated in London. This creates very delicious settings for the World Cup.
No need to humble yourself or bow down
Before the London race, Murto had won almost all of his competitors. Only Katie Moon, who held the season’s best result of 4.90, had been undefeated. On Sunday, Murto was able to defeat Moon too. The thought that he has now beaten all of his fiercest rivals makes Murto happy.
– I don’t think there is anyone at the World Championships that I would never have beaten. It doesn’t mean that I would go there with my jacket open, but there is no one there that you need to humble or bow down to. I can participate in the medal fights in Budapest, Murto said and assured that he is on schedule for this.
– At least we haven’t had time to do anything. With that, we are on track.
Murro’s convincing performance in the pole position is emphasized by the fact that he jumped many jumps against the wind. In addition, he had only had time to practice with new wings once before, so he stated that he was in the competition on a research trip and that he started jumping with wings with an open mind.
– On these screens, the fights will continue. They seemed to work really well, and this seems like a more successful experiment than what I did last winter.
Murto used the new, longer 475-centimeter poles in a competition in Kuortane in January and immediately jumped the new Finnish indoor track record of 475. Murto also used 475-centimeter poles in London, but they have the same profile as the 460-centimeter poles.
Murto said that he considers challenging conditions to be an area of strength and even an advantage. Raja also said that he sensed this about Murro.
– He is in tough competitive situations like at home. He is an extremely good, calm, determined competitor and difficult for anyone to beat, Raja said.
Will Finland return to the World Cup medal base?
London was the last Diamond League competition before August 19-27. organized World Championships. Before this, Murto plans to compete in the Kaleva Games and at the beginning of August in Jockgrim, Germany. The competition in Germany will probably have a strong coverage of the world’s top jumpers, so it will serve as a very good World Cup general.
Wilma Murto is currently the kind of international star athlete in Finnish athletics that our country has not had for many years. In Tuomas Raja’s opinion, a similar athlete can be found years ago, Tero Pitkämäki, who brought the colors of World Cup medals.
– When Tero has been gone, no one has had anything to do with the medal ball. In this regard, Wilma is the continuation of Tero’s work, who can really fight for any position. He is the first, after Tero, to be in that position at the world level, Raja said.
Pole vaulting is a sensitive sport, so Raja wouldn’t load medal coffees into the coffee maker just yet. However, he thinks there are opportunities.
– There is a good chance that Finland, and especially the Finnish women, will return to the medal base also at the World Cup level. The settings are good.