Coach Raimo Mäkinen had a huge impact on shot putter Nico Oksanen’s career. Mäkinen passed away in the spring.
Nico Oksanen thanks his late coach for a lot. Jussi Eskola
On August 30, there was a SM medalist in the shot put Nico Oksanen a huge day.
This summer, Oksanen, who won the SC bronze, broke the 18-meter barrier for the first time in his career after pushing the shot to 18.04 meters in Turku. He felt that he received encouragement from the edge of a cloud before the competition.
Oksanen’s long-term coach Raimo Mäkinen passed away exhausted by a long illness this spring.
– Coming into the competition, I was relatively sure that 18 meters would be fine. There was a grunt from the sky to push the devil, says Oksanen.
Mäkinen had a huge impact on the career of the SM shot put medalist. He was Oksanen’s first “real coach” after his own father.
Mäkinen took Oksanen under his wing when he was 17 years old. He urged the young shot putter to continue playing sports and put the training in order.
– He believed in me.
In 2018, Oksanen finished fourth in the Kaleva Games. Then the two together stated that becoming a medalist requires a change of coach.
They parted ways after seven years on good terms. Mäkinen was watching when Tapio Kuuselan and Mika Lönnbladin Oksanen, who moved into coaching, won the 2019 SM silver.
– That was the last competition that Raimo saw from me.
The Kaleva competitions were organized on the first weekend of August. On August 30, Mäkinen suffered a cerebral hemorrhage during the race and had to be hospitalized.
– Raimo was 72 years old at the time. He was under treatment for a couple of years, and died this spring.
Create faith
Oksanen believes he can do much better. Jussi Eskola
Mäkinen’s widow was watching the race, where Oksanen broke the 18-meter hurdle for the first time in his career. It felt meaningful.
– Raimo toured the games terribly and lived more on the athletics fields than at home. So did his widow.
Oksanen had time to chase an 18-meter bream for three years. He thought that the new meter figure was already close in the summer of 2019.
The decisive change happened before this summer, when Oksanen switched from packing technique to spinning in the ball ring.
– I decided that either the career will end or the technology will change. It has been a good rise from zero. I believe there is much better to come.
– Breaking 18 meters felt really good. There’s still a lot in the bank.
Oksanen hopes that even at the peak of their career, athletes would remember the coaches who supported them when they were 15–20 years old.
– They have had an important influence on the fact that athletes stay involved in the sport. The body and self-confidence are not destroyed.
– Raimo was excellent because he knew how to create faith in myself. Nothing had to be achieved or done.
Ståhl ahead
Discus thrower Daniel Ståhl also competed in the shot put. Jussi Eskola
On Sunday, Oksanen was sixth or last in the shot put competition of the match against Sweden with a result of 17.36.
19.42 meters pushed Sweden Jesper Arbinge took took the win. Discus thrower Daniel Ståhl was fourth, but wedged ahead of two Finns.
– Of course the discus thrower should win. If Daniel practiced the shot put for a year, he would push more than 20 meters. He has tough qualities and has pushed the ball at a young age.
Ståhl’s shot put record was 19.47 last year.