Tero Pitkämäki - 91.11 in Kuortane (© Paula Noronen)
Kuortane, FinlandTero Pitkämäki showed again who’s “the boss” in the Javelin Throw in the second competition of the Finnish Federation's six-meeting Elite Games Series in Kuortane on Saturday (23).
Pitkämäki threw a season’s best 91.11 and beat Norwegian Olympic Champion and World Championships silver medallist Andreas Thorkildsen in the process, by a margin of more than five metres. However, Thorkildsen, who reached 85.80, still has the world season lead of 91.59 metres, but today Pitkämäki was in a class of his own.
Pitkämäki opened the competition with an 88.27m throw and then followed up with 84.59, 85.28 and 87.16 efforts. Just like last year in Kuortane (91.53) - his best effort came in the fifth round, before he concluded the competition with an 85.17 throw.
“It was a very solid series with which I am very satisfied,” Pitkämäki, who was fourth in the World Championships in Helsinki last year said, adding: “I must admit that 90 metres is a relief for me.”
“My aim for this season is to break Aki Parviainen´s Finnish Record of 93.03,” Pitkämäki continued, a standard set in Kuortane in 2000. “I would have needed perfect wind conditions to improve it today, but in a few weeks time I think I´ll reach the level of 93m in any wind.”
Conversely, Thorkildsen said that his technique was so bad, that he could not have reached a 90m mark even in better conditions.
“I’ve been doing a lot of power lifting training lately and I guess that’s why I’m not in my best form right now,” the Norwegian said, “but at the Paris Golden League (7 July) you can expect something better.”
A very promising effort came from Teemu Wirkkala: a personal best of 82.88m for the 2001 World Youth and 2003 European Junior champion.
After his European title in Tampere, Wirkkala suffered injuries in his back and shoulder, but he seems to be ready to battle for a place on the Finnish team at August’s European Championships in Gothenburg.
Wirkkala fnished third ahead of Latvian record holder Vadims Vasilievskis (90.43), who managed just an 80.56 best. Vasilievskis said he has had pains in his left foot, but he will try to cope with it until the end of this season.
But this was not all with the Finnish youngsters. Ari Mannio set is new of PB 79.68, which is also the farthest on the World U20 list, and makes Mannio a favourite at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing in August.
African record for Robbeson
The women’s Javelin was also promising for the Finns, but was won by Justine Robbeson of South Africa with a PB and African record of 62.80. Robbeson improved her compatriot Sunette Viljoen’s AR by 1.21 metres and her own previous best mark by 2.83 metres, but Paula Tarvainen and Mikaela Ingberg opened their seasons with 60.59 and 60.11 throws, respectively.
“Not a bad start at all,” smiled Inbgerg, European bronze medallist in 1998 and 2002. “I have had a very stable training season with no injuries, but my muscles were not ready for very long throws, yet.”
Evilä opens with 7.80
A capacity crowd of 6800 in Kuortane followed the men’s Long Jump with excitement as last year’s World Bronze medallist and national hero Tommi Evilä finally opened his season after a knee tendon injury.
Evilä leaped a winning mark of 7.80 metres (+2.0 m/s) and was satisfied.
“This is my best season opener ever!” Evilä said. “I have been able to train quite well despite the injury. Now I can focus on upcoming events and the Turku Elite Games on July 2nd”.
Ville Tiisanoja (20.16) and Conny Karlsson (20.01) became the 3rd and 4th Finns to put the Shot over the 20m line this season. Tepa Reinikainen, who changed his technique from the glide to the spin last autumn, reached 19.98.
But Tiisanoja left Kuortane without a smile after he hurt his lower back on his last attempt.
“I felt something moving there, but I hope one or two easy and careful weeks will be enough for a recovery,” said Tiisanoja, who had back surgery last September.
Reinikainen is now the best Finn when adding together the best results of both techniques: he glided 20.88 in 2001.
In the men's High Jump, Oskari Frösen won with a first time clearance of 2.25m.
Antti-Pekka Sonninen for the IAAF
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