Camryn Rogers in action in Turku (© Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
As is often the case at the Paavo Nurmi Games, throwing events will be a prime focus at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Turku on Tuesday (17).
The women’s hammer, in particular, is a standout discipline as world and Olympic champion Camryn Rogers faces Olympic silver medallist Annette Echikunwoke, two-time world medallist Janee Kassanavoid, world record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk and Finnish duo Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen who have exchanged national records this year.
Rogers started her season with a bang, throwing 78.14m – the second-best mark of her career – to win at the Mt SAC Relays, then won in Nairobi with 77.93m. But earlier this month she was beaten in Bergen by Kosonen, who’ll be keen to repeat the feat on home soil.
Kosonen has also enjoyed a great start to 2025, setting national records of 75.45m and 77.07m in March, then following it with three more victories. But just a few days ago she was beaten in Lahti by compatriot Tervo, who won with a Finnish record of 77.14m.
Echinwoke has also been operating near her best this year, having thrown 75.47m – just one centimetre shy of her silver-medal-winning mark from Paris and two centimetres shy of her PB. Kassanavoid is one place ahead of Echinwoke on this year’s world list, having set a season’s best of 76.42m in Tucson a few weeks ago.
Hammer-throwing legend Wlodarczyk is no stranger to Turku, having won here in 2019. Now aged 39, the Pole heads to Finland with a season’s best of 71.51m but has been improving with every competition this year.
The men’s discus is similarly loaded; three of the men in the field have, between them, won the past five global titles in the event.
Roje Stona, the surprise Olympic champion in Paris last year, takes on his predecessor as Olympic champion, Daniel Stahl, as well as 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh. Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny, owner of the second-best throw in history, adds further quality to the line-up.
At the time of publication, Ceh has won his past five competitions – three of which produced throws beyond 72 metres, all in different cities. Denny has the longest PB of the field with his 74.78m from the throws Mecca that is Ramona. Setting aside his 13 throws beyond 70 metres achieved at that venue this year, Denny’s best mark this season is his 68.97m from Doha last month. More recently, he finished second to Ceh in Hengelo.
Stahl, like Ceh, has opted not to compete in Ramona this year. The Swede, who holds the meeting record of 70.62m in Turku, has a season’s best of 67.06m from finishing runner-up to Denny in Doha. Stona, meanwhile, opened his season in Hengelo earlier this week, finishing a close third to Denny with 67.19m.
There are three other disciplines in Turku that bring together two or more winners of global titles.
In the men’s long jump, world indoor champion Mattia Furlani takes on 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle of Jamaica and world indoor heptathlon champion Sander Skotheim. Gayle shares a world-leading mark of 8.34m with world indoor bronze medallist Liam Adcock, who is also set to compete in Turku. Furlani’s best this year, 8.31m, is close behind, while decathlon specialist Skotheim sailed out to an outright PB of 8.19m during the indoor season.
In the men’s 100m, Marcell Jacobs and Andre de Grasse – winners of the 100m and 200m titles respectively at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – will go head to head. Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati, South Africa’s Benji Richardson and Britain’s Romell Glave should all be competitive too.
And in the men’s javelin, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and 2015 world champion Julius Yego take on Poland’s Marcin Krukowski.
Fresh from smashing the German record in Rabat with 8:01.49, Frederik Ruppert leads a men’s steeplechase field that also includes 2022 African champion Hailemariyam Amare and 2024 world indoor 1500m champion Geordie Beamish.
In the women’s event, 2022 world champion Norah Jeruto is joined by Kazakh compatriot Daisy Jepkemei and two-time world finalist Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia.
In a well-matched men’s 1500m line-up, 2023 world bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas takes on Kenya’s Brian Komen, South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite and Spanish 800m specialist Adrian Ben.
The women’s 800m, meanwhile, features Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu, Swiss record-holder Audrey Werro and Assia Raziki, who set a Moroccan 100m record of 11.45 back in 2016 but has now moved up to the 800m and recently clocked a PB of 1:58.49.
Two of Europe’s finest sprint hurdlers – Pia Skrzyszowska and Ditaji Kambundji – clash in the women’s 100m hurdles. World indoor pentathlon champion Saga Vanninen is also in the line-up.
Another world-beating combined eventer, recent Hypo Meeting winner Anna Hall, will be in action in the high jump.
