As an athlete, Oliver Helander has risen to a new level in coaching the old champion.
– Call in a year, and you will no longer interview the Finnish record holder.
Aki Parviainen words in 2018 were remembered when Oliver Helander had thrown 88.02 with a seitin-thin species background.
Parviainen’s SE 93.09 is still valid, but now it is realistic to talk that Helander will be able to break the result.
There was another one a year ago after the Orimattila Star Race. The termination came to Helander’s mind.
– I wonder if this is worth doing anymore. There were pains all over the body, says Helander, who went into an injury spiral in 2018–21.
In Orimattila last June, Helander was left without a result when the body was scrapped.
However, the Finn had a ticket to Tokyo in his back pocket, so he left for Japan. The result was a knockout and elimination from the final.
Helander then took the most important call of his career so far.
– Instrument Tero Pitkämäki and I asked him to be my coach.
The old master answered in the affirmative. He had started the World Federation’s staff in 2021.
– It feels like you can be trusted. When Tero says something, you have to listen. Our collaboration has started really well, Helander, 25, compliments.
– We’ve invested in throwing – and it was possible to throw during the winter, he continues.
Pitkämäki knows spear throwing possibly better than anyone in Finland – and most importantly, he has an excellent understanding of top sports and training suitable for spear throwing.
Mental relief
Tero Pitkämäki congratulated his protected Oliver Helander on Tuesday in Turku. Jaakko Stenroos / AOP
There was a relieved man at Ratina Stadium in August 2021.
– It was a really important throw in terms of career.
Helander knocked 86.13 in the Tampere Kaleva Games. It was a relieving result after a rumble and a nipple nap in my twenties.
Talent knew there was still potential as long as health was more or less in the miter.
On Tuesday, the duel Helander-Pitkämäki had its first financial day in Turku Sports Park. The victory of Paavo Nurmi Games came off with a result of 89.83.
– Most of the competitions should be able to be thrown away, next time an athlete competing in Kuortane next Saturday says.
Fourth best
Helander’s 89.83 is Finland’s fourth longest throw ever. Roni Lehti
The 89.83 man in Oulu’s Pyrinth is the fourth longest arc on Finland’s all-time list with the current spear model.
– A little went upstairs. Already in the warm-up, it felt like a plant tone should be thrown away. The run was a bit of a whistle before the cross steps. I dared to press all in, Helander said after his arc.
Parviainen ‘s SE is 93.09, Pitkämäki reached 91.53 and Seppo Räty 90.60.
Behind Helander was, among others, the European champion Antti Ruuskanen (88.98).
– It feels pretty damn good. Quite a few tough throwers were left behind, Helander said, also referring to Tuesday’s competition, where he stabbed, among other things, an Olympic winner Neeraj Chopran (runner-up 89.30) and World Cup gold medalist Anderson Peters (third 86.60).
Helander is still plagued by a shoulder grief that came to Raseborg a few years ago. The ailment was treated the second week with a cortisone spike.
– The shoulder is in good condition. Let’s continue in the same way, so if it doesn’t come 90 meters from there.
The Finnish result is the third in the world statistics this season. Only Peters (93.07) and the Czech Republic are above Jakub Vadljech (90.88).
The Paavo Nurmi Games in their current form have been held for ten years. Since 2014, the men’s spear race has been international.
Prior to Helander, only Pitkämäki was able to win the Finns in Turku Sports Park. He won 85.89 and 89.09 in 2014–15.