Santtu Silvennoinen
Javelin men have to compete before the start of the GP events to almost empty stands, writes Santtu Silvennoinen from Kuortane.
Oliver Helander (left) and Topi Parviainen have to compete in the midsummer classic in Kuortanene before the start of the actual GP competition. Jussi Saarinen
Scandal is the right word to describe the devaluation of men’s javelin throw in Finland.
It is unheard of that the sport most interesting to Finns is organized in the Midsummer classic in Southern Ostrobothnia before the start of the actual GP event.
All of Finland’s best competitive throwers, led by Oliver Helander, will be there, when the event started at Kuortanee sports field at 14:05. The actual gp race starts at 16:00.
Fitting three throwing sports into the same TV broadcast affects Kuortanee’s competition program. Men’s discus and women’s moukari are thrown in prime time on Saturday. Daniel Ståhl, the world’s best Finnish-speaking all-around athlete, was present in the discus race, and Silja Kosonen and Krista Tervo, Birmingham’s EC medal favorites, were present in the women’s discus.
The race organizers got cold feet when Olympic javelin champion and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott, who had been acquired as one of the attractions of the event, canceled his participation at the last minute. The Caribbean man competed without a significant loss in the Doha Diamond League on Friday. Instead of Kuortanene, last week’s Lahti GP winner Artur Felfner also traveled to the desert.
In the open field of Kuortanene, no less than six different men have topped the 90s: Johannes Vetter 93.59, Aki Parviainen 93.09, Kostas Gatsioudis 91.69, Tero Pitkämäki 91.53, Jan Zelezny 91.04 and Magnus Kirt 90.61 meters. In general, the men’s javelin race has topped the classic competition.
Although the race organizers faced unforeseen challenges due to the cancellations and this weekend the Diamond League, Gold Series and Silver Series will be held around the world, the athlete recruitment for this year’s midsummer competition did not go smoothly. The bronze event of the same level last week in Lahti had participant lists of all sports, comparing the heavier category.
Heads do not collide in Kuortanene’s stands when Oliver Helander and his partners throw a spear on Midsummer’s Day. Jussi Saarinen