Now there was a nasty Finnish surprise – a giant bang place in the European Championships

There is a real giant boom in Finnish athletics.

– If Taika Koilahti stay healthy, the sky is open. There is a possibility of surprises at the European Championships, commented Iltalehti’s athletics expert Arto Bryggare.

– I am sincerely very happy for him, the man from Berlin adds.

The native of Turku jumped 643 centimeters in permitted conditions at Kuortane on Saturday and 655 in too strong a tailwind.

– He may not have the potential of 750 cents, but in this world situation, 680 is a tough result. He’s not at that level either, but not far off.

Koilahti quickly rose to the attention of the athletics team in the 2019 season. He jumped more than 660 centimeters three times and at his best 669.

With similar results, we would be among the top twenty women in Europe.

– The run started looking good on Saturday, of course the tailwind helped. On the other hand, I still think that the run goes a little too far.

Terrible difficulties

After his cannon season, Koilahti ran into massive physical, technical and mental problems. Only two of the top ten career jumps have come after the 2019 season.

– On Saturday, Kuortane had super weather and super conditions for the long jump. Everyday can come when you jump in zero wind. But not necessarily.

You said earlier that there is a possibility of surprise at the European Championships. What do you mean?

– We are in the final and we are fighting for good positions.

The EC competitions will be held in August in Birmingham.

Judgment on Helander

Oliver Helander raced over 80 meters three times and at his best in the third round the top result of the domestic season 82.71 meters.

– I am very satisfied with Helander, even though it was super windy and basically there were seams to throw further. A small proximal injury in the spring has affected technically in a bad direction. When a man is healthy, the technique should be corrected.

What is it about?

– There is tenderness at the end of the throw. The stroke is a bit short. Involuntarily, the pressure is not strong enough. But I am very optimistic. If Oliver stays healthy, he is one of the candidates for success at the European Championships.

Nowadays, the European Championships are not at the same level as the World Championships or the Olympics. It may well be enough for an EC medal to be under 85 meters.

– Now we are testing the coach Magnus Kirti. The background has been the same type of error due to tenderness throughout the season. It has to be removed.

Money for Ståhl

By far the most meritorious athlete of the Kuortanen Games Daniel Ståhl took his own in the puck race. The throw of less than 68 meters did not satisfy the man, but it was the most international result of the South Ostrobothnia curlers.

– He is one of the top men in his field in the world. He didn’t pull that last one off badly.

In the discus throw, there was a headwind coming from the left as seen from the athletes. The most optimal would be a charge fire coming from the right or the front – on the assumption that the thrower is right-handed.

– Daniel didn’t know how to throw the wind into it that well. It would have been a little easier for Vasuri.

Ståhl always praises how nice it is to compete in Finland.

– Daniel went to get the travel money. He politely said that it is much harder to throw stones in Turku and Kuortane than in Sweden. I understand that well, because in Finland the reward is one zero more than in Sweden.

The wind blew SE

Women’s moukari Krista Tervo was scarce Silja from Koso better. The Kymenlaakso woman’s javelin slipped to 76.56 meters, and the real Finn’s javelin reached 76.23 meters.

– The two top throwers in Europe, who are in the top six in the world, Bryggare says.

Tervo has been better since the beginning of the 2026 season than ever before in his career.

– Tough series. I hope he maintains at least that level. But there is a long way to the European Championships.

Kosonen’s situation is considered by Bryggare as an almost wall-to-wall European medal.

– You can see from Kosose that they have been training in different ways than before. Even though the training load is lower, it is difficult to lower the result level.

Even the moukari throwers were tormented by the headwind. Before the competition, Kosonen estimates that the headwind can reduce two meters from the length of the throws.

– The wind was so strong that two meters is a good estimate. If they had been thrown from the other end of Kuortanee’s field, both would have broken the valid SE of 77.35 meters.

The central building is missing

The 100-meter hurdles of the fresh SE woman Saara Keskitalon25, the competition in Kuortanene’s midsummer classic went completely awry.

– Saara collapsed a bit. I don’t really swallow this downwind pattern when he said that 1.8 meters per second downwind is not good for him. Saara stayed at the start and then the race went to hell, Bryggare estimated.

The athlete from Espoo’s Tapioen finished fifth in the competition with a modest time of 13.19 seconds. The last time he had an equally tame result was in the 2024 season.

– The individual performances were memorable Riku Illukan and Amanda Kotajan good results.

Illukka sped up to 10.19 seconds in the 100 meter heat and 10.22 seconds in the final. In both events, the tailwind was above the permitted limit.

Amanda Kotaja ran 100 meters in winds that do not qualify for statistics in a time of 15.33 seconds.