Heidi Hannula of Finland in the 100m heats (© Getty Images)
2003/2005 World finalist Ville Tiisanoja competing in the first meeting of 2006 took a comfortable Shot Put win at the Finnish Indoor Championships, last weekend (25/26). The women’s events were dominated by the 7.27 second 60m victory of Heidi Hannula, the 2005 European indoor finalist.
MEN
Halvari has retired
Tiisanoja, won the national indoor title with his 2006 opener, a 19.96m put. He has recorded seven straight seasons over 20m ever since he first conquered the distance in 1999. He was fourth in both 2002 and 2005 European Indoor Championships, and looks set to join the small Finnish squad to Moscow based upon his qualification mark set last year.
Robert Häggblom took second place with 19.58m and Mika Vasara was third on 19.46m. Mika Halvari, the 1995 World Indoor champion and outdoor silver medallist, and national indoor record holder with 22.09m, after persistent Achilles injuries has now retired from the sport, and 2000 Olympic champion Arsi Harju did not compete this time.
Sprint talent
18-year-old Visa Hongisto grabbed the men’s 60m title in 6.74, just edging Nipa Tran (6.76) and Jarkko Ruostekivi (6.77), but was unable to double because of an injury in the 200m heats later. All three runners ran faster times in the semi-finals with Hongisto and Tran finishing in 6.72 in heat one and Ruostekivi winning the other semi-final in 6.73, ahead of the Nigerian Nnamdi Anusim, second in 6.74. Anusim competes for a Finnish club, but is not eligible to represent Finland internationally although he can take part to the Finland-Sweden international match now.
Tran took the 200m title easily in the absence of the favourite Hongisto, with a personal best of 21.25. The oversized 300m Tampere track also witnessed a rare Finnish sub-48 indoor 400m race with Ari Kauppinen taking the title in 47.83, a personal best time.
7.70 – Talsi heads to Moscow
Olli Talsi, who had already booked a place in the Moscow World Indoor Championships team, won the 60m Hurdles with a personal best time of 7.70. There were no others under 8 seconds, due to the fact that Matti Niemi retired after the Helsinki World Championships, and Juha Sonck was injured in training during the winter.
Torro out leaps Frosen – 2.26m to 2.24m
In the High Jump 26-year-old Osku Torro handed Oskari Frösén another defeat. Torro won with a personal best of 2.26m against Frösén's 2.24m and is 2-1 against the long time Finnish number one this season. Matti Mononen, won the Pole Vault at 5.49m.
WOMEN
National 400m record
The women's events were highlighted by some fast sprinting.
Heidi Hannula's world class winning time of 7.27, which equals her 60m personal best from earlier this winter was the best result. Hannula's had a huge winning margin of 0.26s before Sari Keskitalo's 7.53 for the second place. Keskitalo took the 200m title in 23.99, leaving Kirsi Mykkänen to silver medal in 24.32s, but Mykkänen took the 400m title in 53.61, national record for oversized track.
29-year-old Johanna Halkoaho won the 60m Hurdles with a personal best of 8.23 ahead of Katri Hiltunen, who also finished with a PB of 8.38. Ilona Ranta won the 300m Hurdles in a national record of 41.01.
17-year-old Minna Nikkanen could not better her own Pole Vault national record, this time winning with a 4.16m clearance. Earlier this year she jumped 4.20m in Turku. Natalia Kilpeläinen took another Triple Jump title with a season's best of 13.76m.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Finnish Indoor Championships
Tampere, Pirkkahalli, 300m oversized track
Men
60m: Visa Hongisto 6.74; 2 Nipa Tran 6.76; 3 Jarkko Ruostekivi 6.77, semis, heat 1: Hongisto 6.72; 2 Tran 6.72, heat 2: Ruostekivi 6.73; 2 Nnamdi Anusim NGR 6.74.
200m: Tran 21.25.
400m: Ari Kauppinen 47.83; 2 Antti Toivonen 48.06.
800m: Juha Kukkamo 1:54.54.
1500m: Riku Marttinen 3:48.19; 2 Niclas Sandells 3:48.21.
3000m: Arto Aalto 8:18.26; 2 Konstantin Kutilainen 8:18.29.
60m Hurdles: Olli Talsi 7.70 (7.81 1h2).
300m Hurdles: Kimmo Haapasalo 36.72.
High Jump: Osku Torro 2.26; 2 Oskari Frösen 2.24.
Pole Vault: Matti Mononen 5.49; 2 Vesa Rantanen 5.37; 3 Mikael Westö 5.37.
Long Jump: Samir Abbassi 7.56.
Triple Jump: Johan Meriluoto 15.83.
Shot Put: Ville Tiisanoja 19.96; 2 Robert Häggblom 19.58; 3 Mika Vasara 19.46.
5000m Race Walk: Antti Kempas 20:19.36.
Women
60m: Heidi Hannula 7.27 (7.33 1h3).
200m: Sari Keskitalo 23.99.
400m: Kirsi Mykkänen 53.61.
800m: Suvi Myllymäki 2:08.59.
1500m: Annika Rikberg 4:44.00.
3000m: Mari Järvenpää 9:33.06.
60m Hurdles: Johanna Halkoaho 8.23 (8.40 1h2); 2 Katri Hiltunen 8.38 (8.43 2h1), Hanna Korell DNS (8.46 1h2).
300m Hurdles: Ilona Ranta 41.01 NR.
High Jump: Alina Mattila 1.83.
Pole Vault: Minna Nikkanen 4.16; 2 Aino Maija Karvinen 4.11.
Long Jump: Jaana Kontturi 6.10.
Triple Jump: Natalia Kilpeläinen 13.76.
Shot Put: Niina Kelo 14.87.
3000m Race Walk: Outi Sillanpää 13:45.53.
