Athletics | Taika Koilahte’s boyfriend Väinö Mäkelä signed a giant deal: “It’s great that boys make money”

Vaasa

In Turku live-in sports couple, Taika Koilahti and Väinö Mäkeläpacked his racing backpack for the weekend, but their direction was not the same.

Long jumper Koilahti headed for Vaasa and the Kaleva Games, while frisbee golfer Mäkelä traveled to the Swedish Open, which will be contested in Borås.

Even though Pohjanlahti is in between, the couple still supports each other in the middle of competitions.

“Yes, even today we had a video call before both races, and we communicate as much as possible, but at the same time we give each other peace of mind,” Koilahti said on Saturday after the long final.

Koilahti took the SM silver in the final with a score of 627 in the 0.4 meter long jump. He survived as the winner Jessica Kähärä With a jump of 647 meters, which was born in 2.2 meters. The third one was Anne-Mari Lehtiö with a result of 619.

Even though the SM silver warmed the heart, Koilahti was not satisfied with his performance, because according to him, bangs would be even better.

“It was a little bit in the teeth, but maybe tomorrow will already feel different. On the other hand, it was a relief that Jessica jumped so well that it would have taken a super jump to beat her.”

Finland The frisbee golf world was shocked at the beginning of the week when Koilahte’s boyfriend Mäkelä announced on Instagram that he was leaving his long-term main sponsor Prodigy Discs.

A couple of days later it was announced that Mäkelä had jumped on the bandwagon of the world’s largest frisbee golf manufacturer, Innova Champion Discs.

“When we go to discuss our deals with the Manager, we’re not satisfied with taking a worse deal, Mäkelä comments on his contract For Frisbeegolfmedia.”

Site expert Toni Syrjänen estimates that the annual earnings of Mäkelä’s new contract would be around 130,000–150,000 euros.

The amount is huge compared to what track and field athletes earn on average. For example, the pole vault star Wilma Murto earned a total of 75,791 euros in taxable income in 2022. However, his income has presumably increased after the 2022 European Championship gold in Munich and the 2023 World Championship bronze.

Runner Top Raitanen earned a good 60,000 euros in the same year.

What are Koilahti’s thoughts on how the sponsorship income is distributed differently in his and Mäkelä’s sports?

“The way I see it is that frisbee golf is a completely different world. It’s an emerging sport”, where good work has been done and you know how to use, for example, social media to your advantage.

“For example, this weekend in Sweden there will be three days of competition, and there will be one winner for men and one for women. It’s so different from athletics”, so it’s really hard to compare the sports.

Koilahti does not want to upset the sponsorship situation in athletics, but prefers to focus on rejoicing in the opportunities for Mäkelä and his colleagues.

“It’s great that boys make money when there’s a chance.”

Mäkelän the new contract is estimated to be the second most lucrative contract for a finnish frisbee golfer right away Niklas Anttilan after the giant deal.

Anttila tied the knot Frisbee Golf Media including a four-year cooperation agreement with Discmania at the beginning of the year. At the time, expert Syrjänen estimated for the site that Anttila’s annual income could rise to up to a million euros thanks to the bonuses.