Iltalehti analyzes the 2022 national athletics team with the traditional Leijonat & lambat assessment.
Lassi Etelätalo
Succeeded admirably in all four main events of the season and partially exceeded his previous level. Seventh in PNG, sixth in Eugene, gold at the Kaleva Games and European Championship bronze in Munich. A great competitor who hit a record of 86.44 in Bavaria. Average length of the season 82 meters.
Wilma Murto
A broken foot in the winter made the early season difficult. Got in the best shape of his career in July-August. Sixth in the World Championships (460). The EC gold result of 485 cents is shared as the top result in the world, when the Russians who are on the ice are not taken into account. After the championship, 460 in three races.
Kristiina Mäkelä
The record before the World Cup (14.47), the record in the World Cup qualifier (14.48) and the record in the EC final (14.64 = the 7th longest result in the world this season). The defector got to show his doubters a long nose with his EC silver. Hento’s minus when he finished ninth in the World Cup final (14.18).
Top Raitanen
European Championship gold came with tactical genius. Otherwise, the season was left in the teeth, as stomach troubles tormented Eugene in particular. Corona struck after the Munich gig. The personal records at 1,500 and 3,000 meters and in the main event in the hurdles remained unbroken.
Viivi Lehikoinen
The best season of my career. Set a Finnish record in the 400-meter hurdles in Eugene (54.60) and in the semifinals in Munich (54.50). More than sixth place in the final (55.58) could have been taken from Germany. The sweater was empty after the prize competitions.
Krista Tervo
During the season, he made the three longest throws of his career (SE 74.40, 74.34 and 73.83) and made it to the finals of the top twelve in both the WC and EC cages. The sensitive technology spread a bit in the value competition finals. Ten World Cups and one European Championship, but there was more on offer.
Oliver Helander
Health failed again and the season ended at the Kaleva Games. Five starts before that. Turku’s slice of 89.83 is the fifth in the world statistics. Made it to the finals of the value competition for the first time in his career in Eugene: eighth with a result of 82.24.
Aleksi Ojala
In Eugene, the thirteenth race of the recent prestigious championships with the new SE on 2.28.22. In Munich, he started the 35-kilometer race even with a medal in mind, but the end result was an 11-minute slower final time. However, the ranking improved by a notch.
Silja Kosonen
A strong competitor. Seventh in the World Championships and fifth in Munich. In the years 2016–21, he set his own record with a four-kilo moukari every season. Now the itch stayed a bit on the backburner, when the season’s best (72.22) came already in Midsummer.
Urho Kujanpää
The most important race of the season was the Munich qualifier. That’s my own record of 565 and well into the finals. Ninth in the competition on the rainy final day of the soap opera.
Saga Vanninen
Won the junior World Championship gold for the second time in a row. Otherwise, the young top promise’s season was a bit flat, as the expected development spurt did not come. Tenth in the European Championship. Looking for a raise with a new coach.
Elina Lampela
Was in the midst of his career until he suffered a leg injury in Espoo in June. It was visible in the acceleration throughout the summer. A personal save victory when he reached the EC final.
Reetta Hurske
Barely a plus mark. “Could” run further than 60-80 meters. On the other hand, the old superpower was missing when the starts were not rocket-like. In both value competitions, the semifinals of the best 24. In July, the second best result of the career 12.88.
Sara Kuivisto
He continued his SE smashing during the Halli period, but the cycle of health problems that struck in the spring ruined the outdoor track season. Focused mainly on 800 meters. The training was successful when I got into a satisfactory mood in Munich.
Toni Kuusela
A borderline case. Claimed an EC medal, was fifth in the race with an average score of 80.20. The best race of the season took place in a back-to-the-wall situation, as in the previous summer, when he took the EC place in the Kaleva Games with a good result of 84.01.
Joonas Rinne
One of the many Finns who ran out of fuel during the summer. Frantically chased ranking points and succeeded in his goal when he reached 800 meters in Munich. Season’s best 1.46.36. Four tenths better than last summer’s record.
Mary Huntington
Changed for the 2022 season with the greatest hopes for Mika Vakkur’s coaching. Summer turned into a bad pancake. The only match attempt in June in Oulu ended in suspension. Both Achilles tendons were operated on in August.
Tommi Holttinen
Sneaked through the ranking loophole to both Eugene and Munich. In both pole vault qualifications, the final place was not reached with a score of 550. She was 14 cents short of her summer 2021 record.
Mikko Paavola
The season of the Alajärvi anchor was disappointing compared to the strong summer of 2021. The best outdoor track score was only 555. Last summer, I passed 16 centimeters higher. An ankle injury ended the season after Eugene qualified (550).
Senni Salminen
The prize medal that was the goal was not even close. Qualified from the final in Eugene and was seventh in Munich. Lost to Kristiina Mäkelä also in the Kaleva Games. The season’s best result of 14.32 came in the water rain of Kuortane.
Elmo Lakka
The season’s fastest hurdles performance (13.55) came immediately in the opening race in May. The result is the eighth best of his career. Disqualified from the continuation in Eugene and Munich after really weak heats.
Kristian Pulli
Once in a good downwind, eight meters. Otherwise, the tall SE man didn’t really get anywhere. The worst bar crossing was the 756 of Eugene’s qualifying.
Aku Bearden
A lucky walker. New racing shoes messed up technology from early summer. Got a back injury in the last training before Eugene. Was disqualified in 35 races of the World Championships due to repeated technical errors.
Ella Junnila
The career has slipped downhill after the coach change that took place in the middle of the 2021 season. PNG’s score of 192 the only highlight of summer 2022. Munich’s EC qualifying result of 178 was confusingly weak.
Aaron Kangas
Another miserable season in a row. He fell short of his record (79.05) in Eugene’s qualifying (69.69) and about eight (71.08) meters in Munich. Violent technical errors, because the health was ok. You have to make coaching changes, because otherwise your career will slip through your fingers.
Simo Lipsanen
Leikki in 2017 had an SE result of 17.14. In the European Championship qualification in Munich, it was 15.93. Due to ill health, he competed on outdoor tracks only four times. In the administration period, still reasonable (16.71) – the result saved a place in the national team.
No assessment
Lotta Kemppinen
The cycle of health woes. The sprinter did not compete at all during the outdoor track season.
Lotta Harala
In the doping scandal of the 2021 season, in the injury scandal of the 2022 season. Pika-aitur last competed in September 2020.
Annimari Korte
Competed three times in May-June, best 13.10, until transferred to the shipyard. Told that he had the corona virus twice.
Nooralotta Neziri
A strong but long-lasting heel injury forced him to sideline after three outdoor track races in May. The health problem was operated on in the summer.
Athletes belonging to Team Finland, the sports federation’s highest support group, are included in the analysis.