The Finn threw 83.74 and was third in the Eugene Diamond League final. Never before has he been in the triple diamond series.
Oliver Helander’s 2023 competition season is over. PASI LEISMA
Oliver Helander grabbed around 6,560 euros in prize money when he finished third Finnish time late Saturday evening in the Diamond League finals in Eugene, USA.
Helander’s best throw was 83.74. Never before has Helander been in the top three in the Diamond League.
– I’m quite satisfied, even though it was disappointingly close to winning, Helander commented in an interview with CMore.
The Czech Republic raced to win the competition Jakub Vadljech (84,24). The runner-up was India Neeraj Chopra (83.80).
The winner earned about 28,125 and the runner-up about 11,250 euros.
The victory in the Diamond League final was the third in the Czech’s career.
– My third and longest throw started to drag a little. That roll would have had every chance of winning. My swing was good and it was nice to throw. There was a little headwind during the race, but that was to be expected, Helander stated in the Sports Federation’s press release.
The best season
Tero Pitkämäki the 2023 season was the best of his career for the protégé. For the first time, the athlete remained intact in his javelin career throughout the summer, and, for example, a long-term shoulder problem did not require a cortisone spike before the World Championships in Budapest.
Helander was seventh in the World Championships (83.38) and fourth in both the Zurich (83.65) and Lausanne (83.50) Diamond Leagues. On June 13, at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, which corresponds to the Diamond League in terms of participation, the Finn finished second with his best result of the season, 87.32.
– This was a good end to the season, as I stayed healthy and can start the new training season healthy. However, the season left so much in the teeth that it’s really nice to be able to start training very soon, the athlete said.
When the SC and WC qualifiers are ignored, Helander participated in ten different competitions. Before Saturday’s start in Eugene, the average measurement of the best results in individual races was 83.24 meters.