Sergey Makarov throwing in Kuortane (© Paula Noronen)
The weather was too cool for truly top performances at the second meeting of the 2008 season of the Finnish Federation's annual Elite Games series which was held in Kuortane this afternoon, but some good throwing results were witnessed anyway.
Kuortane has always been a lucky field for reigning World champion Tero Pitkämäki, but this time Russian’s Sergey Makarov, the 2003 World gold medallist was the stronger of these two global Javelin Throw winners.
Pitkämäki opened the competition in a good tail wind but in temperatures of only 13 degrees with an 85.81m release, and Makarov answered immediately with 86.88m. It would have been a surprise if anybody present in the stadium, which is part of the IAAF Accredited Training Centre and houses one of the Finland’s Olympic Sports Institutes, had believed at that point that the longest throws of the competition had already been seen.
Yet Makarov could not produce any more long throws, while Pitkämäki fought hard until the last round with a very solid salvo of efforts following his opener – x, 83.25, 82.61, 84.69 and finally 85.81.
After these two champions there was a huge gap before Harri Haatainen’s 80.93m for third place, and Ari Mannio’s 80.50 and Teemu Wirkkala’s 80.20 which took fourth and fifth places. Wirkkala was a disappointment, because he will be selected into the Beijing Olympic Games team thanks to his second place finish behind Pitkämäki in Pihtipudas at the Javelin Carnival on 29 June.
Makarov, 35, who won the World title in Paris 2003 admitted that he had only had one good throw.
"My first one was technically ok, the others not. I felt some pain in my right shoulder, and the weather was too cold. It was a pitty, because the wind was perfect," said Makarov.
Makarov is planning to compete at the ÅF Golden League meeting in Rome next Friday (11 July), and then at the Russian Championships in Kazan the following week. Pitkämäki will follow him to Rome, but has changed his plans about competing at the Paris ÅF Golden League meet on 18 July.
"Right now I need good competitions, and I think I’ll get one in the Joensuu Elite Games on 16 July," said the 2007 World champion. "My performance was better than in Pihtipudas, and I believe that I’ll be ready for really big throws in quite a short time."
Kruger again over 65 metres
The wind blew from the wrong direction for the discus throwers, but Finnish champion Frantz Kruger did not let it bother him too much. He set his season’s best of 65.39m in the second round and said that the timing problems he had had early in the season are now in the past.
"I feel more solid and go further little by little. Obviously the wind and the temperature were not ideal today and that’s why I must be satisfied with this result," smiled Kruger.
Comparing with my 65m in Turku last Wednesday (2) this was a better throw. I’m looking forward to the next Elite Games in Joensuu and Lapinlahti," he confirmed.
Estonia’s Märt Israel placed second with 61.58m and Finland's Mikko Kyyrö was third with 60.53m.
Mikaela Ingberg threw 58.19m for the winning result in the Women’s Javelin and confirmed that she has been suffering from tightness in her back. “It’s not an injury but perhaps a symptom of an allergic reaction.”
Evilä risks nothing in the cold
The crowd which was composed of about 4000 spectators hoped 2005 World Champs bronze medallist Tommi Evilä would leap over 8 metres in the Long Jump but did not witness that feat. Evilä’s winning result of 7.95m guaranteed him pole position in the Elite Games overall series rankings after two meets. There is a 30,000 euros prize at stake this year.
Evilä also produced leaps of 7.94 and 7.93. European U23 silver medallist Petteri Lax’s jumps were short too, but he placed second with 7.88.
"I started the competition very carefully, because I didn’t want to risk anything in this kind of coolness. Then I made some technical mistakes," admitted Evilä, who will probably stay on Finnish soil now until he travels to Beijing.
"I may get invitations from outside of Finland, too, but I’m aiming only for the Olympic Games now. No reason to change anything," said Evilä, who set the Finnish record of 8.22m in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 28 June.
Jukka Keskisalo, the reigning European 3000m Steeplechase champion, tested his speed in the 1500m and won it in 3:43.50 - 0.24 seconds ahead of Estonia's Tiidrek Nurme.
"Not a bad finishing spurt, but what else could it have been after a slow pace like this. I’m feeling better than at the European Cup 1st League in Leiria, where I ran after some hard weeks of training," said Keskisalo.
Other winners:
Other victories went to Jamaica’s Ricardo Williams in the men’s 100 and 200m (10.50 and 21.04), Saudi Arabia’s Edeer Abdulaziz Hawsawi in the Men’s 400m Hurdles in 51.52 sec, Finland's Vesa Rantanen in the Men’s Pole Vault (5.55m SB), and surprisingly Finland’s Tiina Taavitsainen in the Women’s Pole Vault ahead of European Junior champion Minna Nikkanen (both 4.10), and Estonia’s Sirkka-Liisa Kivine in the Women’s Long Jump with her PB of 6.56m.
A-P Sonninen for the IAAF
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