Pitkämäki – 85.65 – while another young throwing prodigy emerges in Turku 02. July 07

Turku, Finland - The 46th edition of the Paavo Nurmi Games at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku attracted just over 5000 spectators yesterday (1).
The second leg of the Finnish Federation's annual Elite Games series of meetings saw a solid set of javelin throws by Tero Pitkämäki, and the arrival of yet another young heir to the Finnish tradition, 17-year-old Tuomas Laaksonen, who will be a World Youth medal contender in Ostrava next week.

President Halonen attends celebrations

The first edition of the meeting was held on June 11th 1957, the 60th birthday of Paavo Nurmi, the most decorated Finnish athlete all-time. Nurmi, who won nine Olympic gold medals and set 19 official World records during his career, was from Turku and represented Turun Urheiluliitto, the club also in charge of the Paavo Nurmi Games meet today.

This 50th anniversary of the founding of the meeting was celebrated in mostly warm and sunny conditions with thunder and rain only kilometres away, with very light rain on occasion at the start of the evening. Some of the most important Finns were watching, the President of Finland Tarja Halonen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva, who is an IAAF Council Member.

It might have been the little unstable weather, but the usual headwind at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium was not there on Sunday and that helped the athletes.

Pitkämäki - Unopposed in windless conditions

As usual in Finland, the spotlight was again on the field events. The most followed Finnish athlete these days, Tero Pitkämäki, made a rare visit to Turku and did not disappoint. Pitkämäki, who didn’t have anyone to challenge him here, was solid in totally windless conditions and opened with an 85.61m effort following that with 84.61m on second round. Pitkämäki furthermore bettered his mark in round five to 85.65m to take an easy win.

Second in the competition was Harri Haatainen, who is slowly making a comeback to the top. Haatainen set a season’s best 78.26m, his best mark in five years – since the 2002 Munich European Championships final where he threw one centimetre more (78.27m) to the ninth place.

Laaksonen confirms Ostrava medal hopes

With the men was throwing a local hope, 17-year-old Tuomas Laaksonen from the organising Turun Urheilulitto club. Laaksonen, who throws the 700g U18 implement, had big hopes last year after a 77.33m effort in May, but could not better that result before the Paavo Nurmi Games here more than a year later. But the youngster will not be disappointed with his 78.62m personal best, which is also the world leading mark for the youth age group. Laaksonen will be one of the medal candidates in Ostrava later this summer at the IAAF World Youth Championships.

Kruger, now a Finn, throws 64.22m

Frantz Kruger - married to 2002 European Triple Jump silver medallist Heli Koivula - who recently gained Finnish citizenship, but does not yet know when he will be allowed to compete for his new country internationally, is in very good form. Kruger's opening round release of 64.22m was enough for the win here in the men’s Discus Throw competition which was mostly conducted in light rain. Kruger set his season’s best 66.76m at the Discus carnival in Jalasjärvi on Friday (29) before the Turku meeting. Mikko Kyyrö, 26, who threw a personal best of 64.14m at the Carnival, was second yesterday with a 61.22m result.

Häggblom the Shot best, while a new format is also tried out

In the men’s Shot Put there was a new style of competition tried. After three rounds the competitors were divided into four pairs with first against eighth, second against seventh etc. After round four the winning pairs made it to round five and the two winners of these two pairs to the final sixth round with the addition of the thrower who had achieved the best result during the competition.

Estonian Taavi Peetre emerged as the winner from this test competition withJeff Chakouian (USA) taking the second place and best Finn Robert Häggblom third.

Häggblom, who was best in the traditional competition format with a 19.91m result said “You can try everything once, but I think we should leave this type of competition to this one time.”

Mika Vasara was a close second at 19.87m, but did not make it to sixth round having lost 19.14m to 19.15m by Taavi Peetre in round five. Taavi Peetre was third best putter with 19.20m result.

Read more Pitkämäki – 85.65 – while another young throwing prodigy emerges in Turku from iaaf.org

iaaf.org