Athletics | Helinä Marjamaa would already like to get rid of her age-old Finnish record

Helsinki the olympic stadium is full. The first World Athletics Championships in history are underway. Next up is the women’s 100m final in 1983.

Eight of the fastest women in the world are preparing for a quick jump. On track one, in her white outfit, the crowd’s favorite, a fresh SE woman Hläna Marjamaa. Standing next to him is one of the early favorites of the race, the American Evelyn Ashford.

Runners line up on the starting racks. The stadium falls silent.

The departure commands echo in the August summer evening. Finally, the starting shot goes off. The audience reaches a ecstatic uproar.

Marjamaa gets a sharp start. The roar of the audience slows his departure. The Finn is halfway even in the medal fight.

Suddenly something special happens.

of Ashford the leg fails. Next to Marjamaa, the favorite winner’s game has been played. Marjamaa continues its strong appeal.

West Germany Marlies Göhr and Marita Koch are ultimately the strongest. The American wins the bronze Diane Williams. A future Jamaican legend will also beat Marjamaa Merlene Ottey23, and Canadian Angela Bailey.

Marjamaa was a fantastic sixth in the 1983 World Cup final. It is still the best Finnish finish in history in the World Cup final on a smooth fast track.

A Finnish runner has never otherwise reached the World Cup final with a smooth journey. On a fenced expressway Arto Bryggare won silver at the Helsinki Games in 1983.

“It was one of the great highlights of my career. It was absolutely amazing to run in front of the home crowd – at least it gave me an extra boost. As an event, the World Championships in Helsinki were incredibly great,” says Marjamaa, 67, next to the front row of the Olympic Stadium 40 years later.

Berry country grew up on a farm in Evijärvi in ​​South Ostrobothnia. Work became familiar to him as a child.

The talented runner’s future was somewhere else than farm work. He matriculated at Evijärvi high school and went on to the University of Jyväskylä to study chemistry.

Marjamaa completed her studies at the same time as her sports career was on the rise.

Marjamaa completed his master’s degree in 1986. By then, his career as a top athlete was already behind him. Later, he completed an MBA, which is comparable to a master’s degree in the commercial field, and a CEO degree.

Marjamaa has a record of activities in his extensive career, including as a chemist, laboratory manager, laboratory and development manager, business manager and administrative director of the Kokkola parish association.

He has also coached, for example Hanna-Maari Latvalaworked in various associations and influenced local politics.

How on earth can one person have enough time for all this?

“It’s nice to have something to do,” Marjamaa says with a smile on her face.

“The use of time is a matter of organization. If something interests you, there is time for it. Local things are interesting. It’s nice to be making an impact, especially in the welfare area. “

SE woman is no longer influential in Kokkola’s municipal politics, but instead he became a candidate for last year’s regional elections. Marjamaa (cook) was also elected.

“I was not a candidate in the municipal elections, but I went to these because I want to make an impact and emphasize the importance of preventive health care in particular. I have created an evening school and a clause that measures must be found for preventive health care. It seems that it is difficult to find measures for this, but I am sure that such measures can be found if one does not think too versatile.”

Marjamaa has taken up the fight against the so-called exercise bomb. The drastically reduced mobility of Finns causes many kinds of costs for society, because people’s ability to work decreases and they accumulate more sick leave days.

That’s exactly why he got excited about influencing specifically in the council of the welfare area. The council is responsible for organizing social care, health care and rescue operations in the welfare area.

“When you get people to move and thus do preventive health care, billions of euros are saved throughout the country. And people feel better: you don’t have to go to the doctor so much,” says Marjamaa.

“It also costs the employer quite a lot when the employee is away. And I by no means mean that a person should not get sick. But when you’re in good health, you get sick less often.”

Helsinki 40 years have passed since the World Championships and the Finnish record of 11.13 that Marjamaa ran in Lahti the same summer. It belongs to the oldest valid SE results.

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40 years is indeed a long enough time. Yes, I would gladly pass that record on.

In Marjamaa’s opinion, the record would already go down in history. At the moment, the most likely record breaker and breaker is Lotta Kemppinen, whose record is 11.33. Kemppinen ran a downwind result of 11.22 this summer.

Marjamaa would like Kemppinen to take over SE.

“Let’s hope, let’s hope. Lota needs to stay healthy and train appropriately, which he certainly does. Staying healthy is an absolute prerequisite. Of course, I hope he succeeds.”

” 40 years is indeed a long enough time. Yes, I would be happy to pass that record on.”