Heike Drechsler-Bryggare was surprised by Finland’s medal rain at the European Championships. Germany should be worried, even though the European Championships were a success.
- Heike Drechsler-Bryggare has followed Topi Raitanen’s career and is happy about the Finn’s gold.
- Finland’s balance of four medals was a surprise.
- Germany grabbed a huge medal haul from its home games, but is in crisis.
Finland has won four medals from the European Athletics Championships in Munich. The balance is impressive, as the previous time there was an equally good success at the European Championships in Athens in 1982.
– I am very surprised. This is good for Finnish athletics, because there are years in the background when there was no success. I am happy for Finland, Iltalehti’s expert Heike Drechsler-Bryggare says.
Before Munich, Finland’s previous prestigious athletics medal was from the 2016 European Championships. In a sport other than javelin, the EC medal was celebrated just in 2006, when Jukka Keskisalo won gold in the 3,000m hurdles and Olli-Pekka Kareliann shot put championship.
In Munich, medals came from the 3,000-meter hurdles, women’s pole vault, women’s triple jump and men’s javelin.
– Top Raitanen was very strong in obstacles. I’ve followed his races. He has only gotten stronger. In Munich, he finally received an award at the international level as well. Raitanen’s development has been great to watch, the two-time Olympic champion praises.
– The next step is to be strong enough at the World Championships.
Topi Raitanen won the European championship. PASI LEISMA
Drechsler-Bryggare won long jump, 100m, 200m and relay medals in her career. There are a total of 16 medals.
According to him, the position of athletics in Finland has changed over the decades.
– I know that many people in Finland love athletics. In my time, the sport was very popular. I think that the popularity will grow and the sport will develop when Finland got big stars. Young people get the chance to realize their dreams.
Cause to worry
Olympic champion Heike Drechsler-Bryggare worked as Iltalehti’s expert on the European Championships. PASI LEISMA
Germany, on the other hand, has had a special value competition summer.
The country completely flopped in Eugene, as only two medals were captured: gold in the women’s long jump and bronze in the women’s relay. Behind the scenes, there was talk of a crisis in German athletics.
There were 16 medals from the EC home games. No less than seven of them are gold.
According to Drechsler-Bryggare, Germany cannot be lulled into EC success.
– You have to be a little worried. People now say everything is fine. That’s not actually true. The Olympics are coming in 2024 – what will happen then?
Spears star Johannes Vetter has been on the sidelines for a long time. Pasi Liesimaa
According to the Olympic champion, several reasons led to the WC squat. Several top German athletes, such as the javelin thrower Johannes Vetterwas injured.
Others, on the other hand, bet on home games.
– I think they are focusing on the wrong games. On the other hand, two value races in the same summer is not an easy thing.
Who bears the responsibility?
Wilma Murto aired the gold medal. PASI LEISMA
The background of the problems in athletics is Germany’s form of government. Germany is a federal state in which each state is an independent actor.
The states run the sports of their own region, and there is no centralized system in elite sports.
– Germany doesn’t want that. Germany is a big country, but everyone does their own thing. Some do a good job and have good coaches. Other areas have nothing.
There is a crying shortage of junior coaches.
– You won’t get good results if the coaches only work in their spare time. One girl even asked me where she can find a club for herself. There were just no coaches. This is a really big problem.
According to Drechsler-Bryggare, there are athletics stars in Germany, but the focus cannot be only on a few peaks.
– Professionalism is needed. You should not focus only on the stars, but on what the junior path produces.