Athletics World Championships | Ilopilleri Krista Tervo’s example has an effect – Moukarin throw is no longer a sport for testosterone-fuelled men in Finland: “There are clearly more girls than boys”

Eugene, Oregon

Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen are each other’s competitors in the moukari ring, but at the same time good friends.

On Sunday, the friends will finally get to cheer each other on in the final competition of the prestigious competition, when the women’s moukari final starts at 21:35 Finnish time.

“It’s great to be in the same final with Krista. This is what we’ve been waiting for. Krista is one of my best friends and we communicate daily. We don’t have quiet days, but we also know how to give each other peace,” says 19-year-old Kosonen.

In athletics, it is often customary for one sport to rise above others in popularity and success. The men’s javelin throw is an exception – it is subject to the expectation of a medal from one Games to another.

For years, the women’s 100-meter hurdles was one of the girls’ favorite sports. With Tervo and Kosonen, the girls have started to get excited about throwing and continue it as adult athletes.

“There are clearly more girls than boys in shot put. It’s a clear trend now”, the Finnish Sports Association’s shot put throw coach Kalle Lehmusvuori says.

Finland has a total of five shot putters in Eugene, three women and two men. In advance, Lehmusvuori calculated that 1–3 Finns would make it to the final competition.

“It went great, I have to be satisfied. However, the situation must be quickly reset, it must not be left floating. You can be happy for a while. It’s difficult to handle the matter when something similar has never been experienced before,” Lehmusvuori said after the moukari qualifiers on the night before Saturday, Finnish time.

Finland’s third female thrower Suvi Koskinen threw him a good score of 67.98, but it was not enough for the final.

From male throwers From Tuomas Seppänen and Aaron from Kankaa The World Cup qualification went badly to the bottom.

Tervo was third in the overall qualifying results and Kosonen was seventh. Tervo threw his third longest throw of his career 73.83, Kosonen’s second best of the season 72.15.

In March, Tervo threw a Finnish record of 74.40 in Portugal. Kosonen threw his record 73.43 a year ago in Vaasa.

Both Moukari women also participated in the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, where Kosonen was 14th and Tervo was left without a result in the qualification.

“This makes up for the disappointment of Tokyo, which was heavy. It was sad at the time, but it made me very hungry when you want to succeed,” says Kosonen.

Kosonen enjoyed success last year in the youth leagues, when he won the 19-year-old world championship and the European championship. Now the goal is to place among the eight for the first time among adults.

“I try not to think too much. I’m trying to keep my energy up for the final,” says Kosonen.

Linden mountain thinks that a throw of 72 meters is enough to reach the top eight in the final competition. 74–75 meters are already required for a medal.

“If we get the same curves in the finals as in the qualifiers, then we’ll be eight in a row. There has been training for this. There is not the same pressure in the finals as in the qualifiers, where heaven and hell are facing each other. You can take it a little easier. Now is an opportunity”, says Lehmusvuori.

Although the final race is thrown in Eugene in the middle of the day, they will be watched by a full stand. Americans Janee’ Cash register and Brooke Andersen were first and second in the qualifying round.

A third American, Annette Echikunwokewas fifth in qualifying, whose biggest surprise was Poland Malwina Kopron relegation. Kopron was a medal favorite.

“At least the framework is great. If the Finns still improve in the finals, it’s already a great thing. Now one intermediate stage has been reached, when two women have reached the final. The next stage is to get the thrower into the group of eight and then to the medals,” says Lehmusvuori.

As competitors Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen are opposites of each other. Kosonen is a steady performer, while Tervo’s level fluctuates between good and bad.

“Krista is explosive as a thrower. He can make really hard moves. The other extreme is that throwing can be difficult. Silja is technically a bit more reliable thrower than Krista,” Lehmusvuori analyzed.

As people, both throwers are benevolent happy pills.

“They don’t take life too seriously and can also laugh at themselves,” says Lehmusvuori.

Kosonen is studying languages ​​in Turku, and his dream is to graduate as a high school teacher in German and French. In the fall, Tervo started nursing studies at Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

“I have longed for more in life than sports. Now I am satisfied that I was able to study. Some kind of start to a career path. Tampere also has good training places,” says Tervo.

Tervo says that in the beginning, he was just a hobbyist and a “bad guy” until he suddenly started getting stronger results.

In 2014, he threw the 17-year-old Finnish record of 59.95 with a four-kilogram shot putter. Since then, the development has been incredible. Since then, he has thrown a total of six Finnish records in different age groups.

Both of them throwers have a versatile aerobic endurance base.

Kosonen played football until 2019. In addition, he has enjoyed skiing, orienteering, and played ringette and floorball.

“It’s always sad when you have to stop another sport, but I feel that they have all been useful.”

In addition, Kosonen is a talented pianist.

“I try to call every week. I don’t remember anything from external memory. I like all the theme songs of Disney movies and Harry Potter movies, as well as the classic ones. I try to vary a bit.”

Kosos, representing the Turku Sports Association, coaches Jani Pitkänen.

Tervo again started as an endurance runner. He ran distances of 800 to 2,000 meters when he was young.

He discovered moukari throwing by accident, when the then club Karhula Urheilijat needed a moukari thrower for a club match, and Tervo agreed to join.

Now he represents Karhula Katajais from Kotka. He is coached by someone who works as a security guard Jukka Vihtonenwho at the beginning knew as little about moukari throwing as Tervo.

“Jukka has learned from other coaches as experience accumulates,” says Tervo.

Lehmusvuori says that a versatile sports background specifically helps with recovery from training.

“Neither of them has started throwing dice too early either. It always has its own risks if you start too early.”

The women’s shot put final will start on Sunday at 21:35 Finnish time.