Ella Mikkola left behind Ella Junnila, who jumped the adult Finnish record.
A high jumper Ella Mikkola18, improved his own record and came third in Wednesday’s Paavo Nurmi Games race in Turku. Mikkola surpassed 191 in the competition on his first attempt.
The result is also a new Finnish record for under-20s. Still, Mikkola feels that he was not at his best in the competition.
– I didn’t really like race jumping. The best jumps came today in pole vaulting, Mikkola commented.
Ella Mikkola felt that she could have taken a couple of centimeters more. Tomi Natri / AOP
However, he specifies that he was really satisfied when the bar remained at a record high.
– I was really satisfied in that moment, which is not necessarily always the case. I’m always in such a competitive mood on that field, and I don’t want to waste that charge, Mikkola opens.
– I don’t necessarily show it externally, but I was really satisfied and proud of myself when the 91 went.
Mikkola admits that he is quite self-critical in sports, and he doesn’t want to “glow” too much before there is a reason for it.
– There was such a cool feeling that, okay, with such a jump I can achieve such a result. Maybe, in a certain way, waiting for what can come next when everything clicks into place.
Ella Mikkola is probably the most promising Finnish high jumper at the moment. The same grass
Mikkola, who represents Tampere Pyrintö, adds that the technical issues honed with the coach were successful in practice, but they were forgotten in the race.
– When the race started, maybe it was a bit too tight for me. But it’s nice that you can achieve such results with not the best jumps, so I’m really satisfied with the results.
Mikkola shared the third place Swede in PNG by Louise Ekman with. The competition was won by the Ukrainian star Yulija Levchenko with a score of 197. A Jamaican jumped to second Lamara Distin with a 194 result.
Among the Finns, SE woman Ella Junnila jumped sixth (191) and Heta Tuuri eighth (178). Junnila improved her season’s best by one centimeter in the race. He crossed 191 in the third attempt.
Ella Mikkola will not be seen at the European Championships in August. Kimmo brandt / aop
The European Championships will be missed
The main event for Finland’s top athletes looms in August, when they will fight for European Championship medals in Birmingham. However, Mikkola is not seen there.
Instead of the adult European Championships, the top talent is aiming for the youth World Championships, which will be held at the beginning of August in Oregon, USA.
– In terms of schedule, the races overlap a bit, and we are not changing our sights.
– It would be too ambitious to go to both. Then you’d suddenly get confused before the World Championships, and the European Championships will be held like this at the adult level, but the youth championships won’t be around forever.
Mikkola’s June is still focused on training, and the next competition has not been decided.
– I will take a couple of so-called training races, but we haven’t decided where they will be yet, says Mikkola.