Tero Pitkämäki's acrobatics in Lappeenranta (© Paula Noronen)
Reigning World Javelin Throw champion Tero Pitkämäki was the overall 30,000 euro jackpot winner of the Finnish Elite Games Series which concluded today in Lappeenranta.
Pitkämäki threw 84.30m in the last Elite Games Meeting, the "Karelia Games", which was enough for him to secure the first place prize.
Long jumper Tommi Evilä who was second after the first four meeting, did not compete in Lappeenranta and dropped down to 10th place in the overall standings.
Instead of fighting for the money, Evilä travelled to the Finnish Team training camp in Marugame, Japan, on 1 August, which was four days earlier than the team’s main group.
Pitkämäki’s result was a relief for not only for himself but for all Finnish people, who are, as is well known, mad about the Javelin Throw.
Pitkämäki’s throwing technique has not been what it should be over the few last weeks, but now it seems that the problems will be solved before the Beijing Olympic Games.
"After the Finnish Championships a week ago I have trained a lot,” said Pitkämäki. “I have slowed down my running speed a bit, and today it worked better. This is not what I wanted, but I am confident for Beijing, where I’ll fly on Thursday 7 August."
Antti Ruuskanen, who was selected only as a home reserve for Beijing again beat Teemu Wirkkala, a man in the blue and white javelin squad for Beijing, 83.53m to 80.47m.
The men’s Discus was won by Hungary’s Zoltan Kovago, who started with 65.12m and finished with 65.08m. Estonia’s Märt Israel set 64.30m as Finland’s Frantz Kruger placed 3rd with a throw of 63.40m. Kruger placed fourth in the overall Elite Games competition. Israel had won two Elite Meetings and took second place overall.
Finland has a new man over the 60m line as Jouni Walden set a PB of 60.16m in the last round.
Ingberg, Häggblom, Latvala and Halvari to Beijing
In the women’s Javelin Throw Mikaela Ingberg sealed her Beijing-ticket with 57.91m throw in the fifth round. Ingberg has suffered from tightness in her back muscles for almost the entire summer and the Finnish Olympic Committee wanted to see if she has recovered.
"I am sure that the warm weather both in the training camp in Marugame and in Beijing will do me good,” said Ingberg, 34. “I am definitely not going to travel to Asia as a tourist. I want to set my best throws of this season there."
Ingberg will represent Finland at a major international championships for the 14th time. The only Championhipss she has missed since the Europeans in 1994 were the IAAF World Championships in Osaka last year.
Also shot putter Robert Häggblom had to show that his back muscle cramps are history. Häggblom placed second with a 19.60m throw, 26 cm behind Estonia’s Taavi Peetre. It means that Häggblom will fly to Beijing as will Mikko Halvari in the Decathlon after putting 14.23m in Lappeenranta. Halvari also had a minor hamstring injury recently.
Mikko Latvala cleared only 5.25m in the men’s Pole Vault but that was enough for the Olympic Team. Latvala was selected on 21 June, but as he did not compete at the Finnish Championships in Tampere on 26 July due to a slight hamstring cramp, the NOC asked him to show his current form.
Alexandr Gripich of Russia cleared 5.53m as his winning result, only 2cm short of his personal best. Nevertheless, Latvala took third place in the overall table in the Elite Games series.
Another Finn to test for the Olympic Games was Jussi Heikkilä in the 400m Hurdles. Heikkilä’s hamstring was injured in June and clocked only 52.82 and will not compete in Beijing. Saudi Arabia’s Bandar Yahya al Shrahili won in 50.51.
Other winners, Men: 100 & 200m Emmanuel Callendar, Trinidad & Tobago, 10.24 & 20.69; 800m, Andrew Ellerton, CAN, 1:48.12; 1500m, Diego Ruiz, Spain, 3:39.75; 3000m, Titus Mbishei, Kenya, 7:56.69; and 110mH, Chris Thomas, USA, 13.72.
Women: 100m, Yuna Mekhti-Zade, Russia, 11.62 (-0.2 m/s); 800m, Irina Maratsheva, Russia, 1:59.70; 100mH, Aleesha Barber, Trinidad & Tobago, 13.28 (-2.5 m/s); 400mH, Yevgenia, Isakova Russia, 55.98; and Triple Jump, Yekaterina Kaukova, Russia, 14.02.
Antti-Pekka Sonninen for the IAAF