Two convincing performances by Pitkämäki - Finnish Championships Report 06. August 07

Tero Pitkämäki’s qualification and final performances highlighted the Finnish Championships on the blue Kimpinen track in Lappeenranta during the weekend.

Competition record 88.67 in qualification round

The 24-year-old, easily the brightest star of Finnish Athletics at the moment, was naturally the focus of the champs. Before the competition started, Pitkämäki even did his final training in public. Several hundreds of people were watching the training and on Sunday evening the stadium was absolutely packed to see the Seinäjoki-based athlete steal the show once again.

But it was not all easy for Tero this time. For the first time in the Finnish Championships, a new rule was used for field events and only eight best from the qualifications advanced to final.

In Finland a qualification standard of 71 metres (which would be enough for a medal in most of the countries in the world) is required to attend the champs and sixteen athletes were competing in the qualification round. Pitkämäki was throwing in the first group and decided to take it easy. And that did not work at all, his first throw just slipped out of his hand and landed at 72.04m.

In the second throw the javelin’s tail scratched the track in the throwing process and managed to fly only 75.00m, which was enough for equal fifth place in the first group and surely not enough for the final. For the last throw the number one thrower in the world decided to use full speed and power and the outcome was equal to that. His 88.67m third throw was the best ever qualification mark by a Finn and third best ever, only Jan Zelezny (CZE) has twice thrown further, in Sydney Olympics and Edmonton World Championships qualifications.

Tero throws even further in final

In the final Pitkämäki opened with a good 85.04m. In the second round Tero Järvenpää threw further but it was a narrow foul landing at about 85.5m. Järvenpää finally got a good throw in round five with 81.01m, which was enough for second place and a spot in the Osaka team to accompany Pitkämäki and Teemu Wirkkala, who was third today with a 80.86m result.

Pitkämäki used the nice slight following wind in round two winning with another big throw and competition record of 89.43m, bettering his one day old CR from the qualifications. The winner then fouled two throws and decided to pass the two remaining ones because of the extra energy used in Saturday’s qualification to avoid any possible injuries.

First Finnish title for Kruger

Sunday witnessed another good throwing performance in the men’s discus throw. The following wind certainly did not help the throwers, but still the new Finn, Frantz Kruger, grabbed his first Finnish title in style producing a couple of big throws with his best 66.37m coming in round five.

A 64-metre man this year, Mikko Kyyrö, only managed 59.93m for second place which puts Kruger’s winning result into perspective. Kruger is still hoping to get the permission to compete for Finland in Osaka. While interviewed on Finnish radio, fully in Finnish, Kruger said that he was really content to get two 65m+ throws in difficult windy conditions. He added that he’s very eager to represent Finland in Osaka and hopes for a positive verdict for his participation there.

Robert Häggblom took his first national outdoor title on Friday with a winning toss of 20.07m, exactly the same distance he achieved in February while winning the national indoor champs, and made sure he is the best shot putter in Finland at the moment. But on Sunday there was bad news for him as he had sprained his ankle in training while still staying in Lappeenranta and his Osaka trip is now doubtful.

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Results

	Shot	3 August
1	Robert Häggblom	FIN	9.08.1982	20.07
2	Mika Vasara	FIN	22.10.1983	19.79
3	Tepa Reinikainen	FIN	16.03.1976	19.13
4	Seppo Kujala	FIN	24.09.1980	18.43
5	Tuomo Tihinen	FIN	12.12.1977	17.67		SB
6	Sami Kalliomäki	FIN	11.03.1983	16.93
7	Antti Rauhala	FIN	5.07.1977	16.00
8	Jarkko Takaluoma	FIN	19.02.1985	15.82
	Qualification	3 August
	Qualification
1	Robert Häggblom	FIN	9.08.1982	18.92			Q
2	Mika Vasara	FIN	22.10.1983	18.58			Q
3	Tepa Reinikainen	FIN	16.03.1976	18.25			Q
4	Seppo Kujala	FIN	24.09.1980	17.98			q
5	Tuomo Tihinen	FIN	12.12.1977	17.55			q
6	Sami Kalliomäki	FIN	11.03.1983	16.73			q
7	Antti Rauhala	FIN	5.07.1977	16.62			q
8	Jarkko Takaluoma	FIN	19.02.1985	16.39			q
9	Mikko Kurunsaari	FIN	21.04.1981	15.99
10	Kimmo Lahti	FIN	7.09.1985	15.84
11	Niko Hauhia	FIN	9.02.1989	15.54
12	Mika Lönnblad	FIN	11.01.1977	15.41
13	Niklas Söderlund	FIN	6.10.1983	15.31
14	Mikko Heikkilä	FIN	16.09.1987	15.00
15	Kalle Rönkä	FIN	26.12.1985	14.52
	Discus	5 August
1	Frantz Kruger	FIN	22.05.1975	66.37
2	Mikko Kyyrö	FIN	12.07.1980	59.93
3	Mika Loikkanen	FIN	20.02.1974	59.27		SB
4	Pertti Hynni	FIN	14.02.1960	59.22		SB
5	Juha Lahdenranta	FIN	12.06.1976	57.68		SB
6	Timo Tompuri	FIN	9.06.1969	56.85
7	Jouni Waldén	FIN	9.01.1982	56.42
8	Karri Olin	FIN	18.01.1978	50.51
	Qualification	4 August
	Qualification
1	Frantz Kruger	FIN	22.05.1975	62.65			Q
2	Mikko Kyyrö	FIN	12.07.1980	56.93			Q
3	Juha Lahdenranta	FIN	12.06.1976	55.59			q
4	Mika Loikkanen	FIN	20.02.1974	55.30			q
5	Jouni Waldén	FIN	9.01.1982	54.88			q
6	Timo Tompuri	FIN	9.06.1969	54.38			q
7	Pertti Hynni	FIN	14.02.1960	54.08			q
8	Karri Olin	FIN	18.01.1978	52.74			q
9	Raine Munukka	FIN	6.05.1982	51.30
10	Jarkko Takaluoma	FIN	19.02.1985	50.47
11	Joni Mattila	FIN	30.11.1988	49.80
12	Juuso Sillanpää	FIN	16.02.1979	48.38
13	Teppo Ryyti	FIN	4.02.1971	47.28
14	Joni Peuraniemi	FIN	1.01.1986	46.33
15	Aki Kuusela	FIN	14.07.1990	46.26		PB
16	Teemu Olli	FIN	24.08.1978	44.75
	Hammer	3 August
1	Olli-Pekka Karjalainen	FIN	7.03.1980	76.57
2	David Söderberg	FIN	11.08.1979	74.91
3	Lasse Luotonen	FIN	16.06.1983	71.50
4	Juha Kauppinen	FIN	16.08.1986	69.12
5	Petri Rautio	FIN	27.06.1982	67.41
6	Tuomas Seppänen	FIN	16.05.1986	66.91
7	Mats Granö	FIN	6.09.1981	64.66
8	Mikko Laine	FIN	16.11.1979	61.97
	Qualification	3 August
	Qualification
1	David Söderberg	FIN	11.08.1979	73.30			Q
2	Olli-Pekka Karjalainen	FIN	7.03.1980	70.49			Q
3	Lasse Luotonen	FIN	16.06.1983	68.36			Q
4	Juha Kauppinen	FIN	16.08.1986	67.00			q
5	Tuomas Seppänen	FIN	16.05.1986	65.96			q
6	Petri Rautio	FIN	27.06.1982	65.46			q
7	Mikko Laine	FIN	16.11.1979	65.18		SB	q
8	Mats Granö	FIN	6.09.1981	64.25			q
9	Samu-Petri Simo	FIN	22.06.1978	63.17		SB
10	Mikko Järvinen	FIN	31.01.1985	62.76
11	Petri Mättölä	FIN	1.07.1986	62.39
12	Antti Vierula	FIN	23.01.1980	62.11
13	Heikki Jussila	FIN	20.06.1983	59.27
14	Ville Strömblad	FIN	12.05.1987	59.10
15	Tuomas Mikkola	FIN	28.09.1982	58.92
16	Arno Laitinen	FIN	9.03.1988	58.59
17	Ville Olmala	FIN	31.05.1984	58.30		SB
18	Janne Viljanen	FIN	21.07.1989	58.29
19	Harri Santala	FIN	14.07.1989	58.19
20	Tuomas Huhtala	FIN	4.02.1983	57.66
21	Kai Räsänen	FIN	29.06.1990	57.20		PB
22	Joachim Koivu	FIN	5.09.1988	56.52
23	Tero Forsberg	FIN	11.03.1985	56.37
24	Ville Nikula	FIN	5.10.1982	55.80
25	Samuli Heinänen	FIN	12.03.1988	54.29		SB
	Javelin	5 August
1	Tero Pitkämäki	FIN	19.12.1982	89.43
2	Tero Järvenpää	FIN	2.10.1984	81.01		SB
3	Teemu Wirkkala	FIN	14.01.1984	80.86
4	Antti Ruuskanen	FIN	21.02.1984	80.53
5	Ari Mannio	FIN	23.07.1987	75.21
6	Viljo Toivanen	FIN	18.08.1984	73.49
7	Mika Aalto	FIN	11.03.1982	70.00
8	Kalle Sillanpää	FIN	4.12.1983	69.73
	Qualification	4 August
	Qualification
1	Tero Pitkämäki	FIN	19.12.1982	88.67			Q
2	Teemu Wirkkala	FIN	14.01.1984	81.26			Q
3	Antti Ruuskanen	FIN	21.02.1984	79.26			Q
4	Ari Mannio	FIN	23.07.1987	77.57			Q
5	Tero Järvenpää	FIN	2.10.1984	77.26			q
6	Kalle Sillanpää	FIN	4.12.1983	76.04			q
7	Viljo Toivanen	FIN	18.08.1984	76.01			q
8	Mika Aalto	FIN	11.03.1982	76.01		PB	q
9	Jarkko Koski-Vähälä	FIN	21.11.1978	75.94
10	Harri Haatainen	FIN	5.01.1978	75.25
11	Esko Mikkola	FIN	14.02.1975	75.00
12	Mikko Löppönen	FIN	29.09.1983	72.76
13	Tuomas Saari	FIN	17.03.1989	71.41		PB
14	Toni Tuiskunen	FIN	22.10.1979	70.63
15	Seppo Hirvonen	FIN	1.11.1982	69.84
	Heiko Gross	EST	6.05.1984	NM

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