The men’s Long Jump event is conjuring up some good results in Finland this summer, and was again the highlight of the Finnish Federation’s annual Elite Games six meeting Series, which reached its fourth stage in sunny and very warm (+25 - 26 degrees) conditions at today’s Savo Games, EAA permit event.
There was also a 1:44.39 national senior 800m record win for Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Obeid Al-Salhi (junior), and world class men's Discus Throw and Shot Put competitions.
Consistently over 8m
The Long Jump competition was won by Finland’s Tommi Evilä, who leaped 8.27m on his sixth attempt which is 11cm over the current Finnish Record (Rainer Stenius in 1966 and Jarmo Kärnä in 1989), but unfortunately the tail wind blew a bit too strongly: +2.4 m/s.
Anyhow, Evilä, 25, who was fourth in the European Indoor Championships last winter, has won his opening six competitions of this summer with three of the meets producing series which included 8m efforts. On the 12 June he beat reigning European champion Aleksey Lukashevich (UKR), while today in Lapinlahti he defeated USATF Championships third placer Brian Johnson.
Evilä was legally over 8m on three of his other jumps in Lapinlahti, and he is fast showing the potential to spring a surprise at the 10th World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland, 6 -14 August.
The Finn opened with 8.04 (+1,2) and backed that up with 8.01 in the second. Johnson put up a massive response in the 4th round: 8.20m (+0,8), and in the same round Evilä jumped 8.04 (+0,7). Johnson fouled his 5th attempt and produced only 6.50 on his 6th. Evilä who is known as a rock-steady last round jumper, made no exception at the Mondo Arena of Lapinlahti, and reached out to his winning 8.27m.
Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of the South Africa, the World Junior silver medallist (champion at TJ) placed 3rd after jumping 8.00m twice.
“There has been so much talk about breaking the national record, that it is becoming a burden for me,” Evilä admitted, “but I think today that I sent a message to those guys, against whom I’ll compete in Helsinki. Johnson will be there, and I beat him!”
Kruger 65.53
As well as for the jumpers, the swirling wind caused some problems for throwers, as well.
Franz Kruger of the South Africa got two good throws out in the men’s Discus Throw: 65.53 and 64.72. That was enough for the victory, as the next best, Gabor Mate of Hungary produced 63.72 on his last attempt. The Finnish record holder Timo Tompuri placed third with 62.14, and 4th place was taken by Pertti Hynni, a 44-year-old Finn (60.22).
Tiisanoja 20.44
Ville Tiisanoja and Tepa Reinikainen, former World Championship finalists, were over 20 metres in the men’s Shot Put. Tiisanoja put 20.44 in the 2nd and 20.11 in the 6th round, while Reinikainen produced 20.01 in the 2nd and 20.13 in the 3rd.
“I have trained very hard and I know that if I’d taken it a bit easier, 20.50 to 21 metres would have been possible. Today I was very satisfied with my technique; I made solid throws,” said Tiisanoja.
Arsi Harju, Finland’s 2000 Olympic champion, got only one put measured: 19.99m on his 2nd attempt. It is a result which will hardly spread fear amongst the other top shot putters in the world, but it is a glimmer of promise for Harju’s capacity to go over 20 metres again very soon. He has stepped out of the ring on almost all of his competition throws this summer, but according to the athlete it is only a matter of small technical details now which he must get in order before everything comes right once more.
Harju finished his over 10-year-long co-operation with coach Jorma Tuominiemi last year, and since then has been given advice from Into Turvanen and Janne Palokangas, who coached Mika Halvari (World Indoor gold and outdoor silver in 1995).
Kolkkala heads Finnish trio
Olympic finalist Taina Kolkkala won the Women’s Javelin Throw with her season’s best of 59.69m. Two-time European bronze medallist Mikaela Ingberg threw 56.45m, and the Finnish record holder (64.90 in 2003) Paula Tarvainen (nee Huhtaniemi) produced 56.37m.
Both Ingberg and Tarvainen had shoulder operations last autumn. Ingberg opened her season in Kuortane a week ago, but this was Tarvainen’s first competition this year.
Al Salhi runs 1:44.39 for 800m
The best running event in Lapinlahti was men’s 800 metres, which was won by 19 year-old Mohammed Obeid Al-Salhi of Saudi-Arabia in 1:44.39. It was a national senior record for the 2003 World Youth champion. Johan Cronje of the South Africa placed second (1:46.13).
A good national race was run in men’s 400m hurdles. Finnish record holder (49.36 in 2003) Ari-Pekka Lattu improved his season’s best to 50.20 seconds, and former record holder Janne Mäkelä (49.59) clocked 50.44. It was his 3rd race after two Achilles tendon operations which forced him to miss the summer seasons of 2003 and 2004.
In the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, Jukka Keskisalo, 2003 World Championships final 9th placer, made a come back after several persistent injuries which had ruled out last season and all of this summer so far, but he could only place 6th after clocking 8:50.21. The race was won by Japan’s Yoshitaka Iwamizy with 8:32.07.
Of other significance, Leigh Julius of the South Africa was fastest in men’s 100m (10.27) and Finland´s Hanna Korell ran 13.25 in women’s 100m Hurdles.
Antti-Pekka Sonninen for the IAAF
