Will Finland’s medal hopes stay up or will she crash after her throw in Sunday’s javelin final?
Even though the World Cup qualification went badly due to tension and over-trying, the javelin thrower Oliver Helander is for the first time in his career genuinely in a situation where he has a realistic chance of winning a prestigious medal.
The athlete affected by the glassy body is Tero Pitkämäki in coaching, the shoulder area and mid-body, which are critical for the sport, have been strengthened.
But.
Helander technology has been messed up for several weeks.
The man has only received support to hold in the finals of the Kaleva Games in the first three rounds. The man kept up those performances after the throwing phase.
In Lahti, he rapped 85.32 and won the SM gold.
– At least I’ll try to stay upright in the World Cup qualifier, Helander said on Thursday in Hungary.
The final result in Friday’s qualifying was three throws from a lousy support and dives after.
The eternal argument
Oliver Helander dived after his throws on Friday in the World Cup qualifier in Budapest. The longest slice carried 80.19. He made it to Sunday’s final in 10/12 place. PASI LEISMA
Standing or lunging?
It’s a perennial point of contention.
– When we go to safety, it’s a technical fault. The support leg stretches too far, the support goes to the side of the little one and the giant flies to safety in an unnatural position, Seppo Räty has announced.
Helander admits that the vertical style is safer.
– The posture stays much better at the end of the throw, you get a long stroke and the javelins start in a better position, Helander estimates.
On the other hand, by plunging into the tool after the throw, there is, at least in theory, the possibility of getting more departure speed.
Both styles have seen success.
Aki Parviainen remained upright in his SE performance (93.09), but Tero Pitkämäki went on the nose in his record arc 91.53.
Jan Zelezny rushed after the ME performance (98.48) and went to his knees.
– By plunging, I got a longer catch on the javelin and with it the strongest possible starting speed, Zelezny has estimated.
Räty doesn’t dispute the theory, but…
– When you go to safety after the throw, you have to stop picking up speed 3-5 meters before the line, so that there is room to lie down. That way I get a starting speed for the spear, but the efficiency is plus or minus zero, the man from Tohmajärvi stated.
A clinging habit
Oliver Helander stayed upright in his gold throw at the Kaleva Games in Lahti. Mika Kanerva
Back to Budapest.
The vertical technique is stable and risk-free, but diving is much more familiar to Helander.
He has favored diving throughout his career. The previous 80-meter ones that came before Lahti that stayed upright were from three years ago.
– I have been diving for so long that those throws seem to have more power, says Helander.
– You can also jump, but you have to throw first. Recently, in the performances where I have plunged, the upper body has moved too far forward, the support has failed and the javelins have gone where it hurts, he specifies.
Last season, after the longest throw of his career (89.83) and this season’s best slice (87.32), the Finnish thrower plunged. The venue for both was the Paavo Nurme stadium in Turku.
Error of thought
Seppo Räty stayed upright almost all the time. Photo from 1997 in Lahti. Jarkko Tapola
– Jumping feels safer, so I decided in the qualifying that I will jump, Helander said on Friday.
This is the core of the man’s technology problem.
– When you prepare to plunge even before the throw, the throw does not leave the support, Iltalehti expert Arto Bryggare analyze.
European Championship silver medalist Lassi Etelätalo assesses that the athlete should not decide in advance how the critical phase of the performance will proceed.
– It’s easy to punch if I know before the throw that I’m going to dive. Then it often becomes forward-weighted and the posture is lacking. Throwing comes naturally if it comes, says the 35-year-old conker thrower.
Does Helander have a medal chance on Sunday?
– Of course it is, if you do the best performance of the season either by diving or by staying upright. It is essential to influence the spear as long as possible with the support, Bryggare answers.