Comment | Wilma Murro’s EC gold was a stunning display, Finland’s record was also improved three times

Munich

Wilma Murto went to the EC athletics pole vault final with the highest expectations, and for good reason.

Murto returned the Finnish women to the medal base after a 20-year hiatus by bending the EC gold with a dazzling Finnish record result of 485 cents.

Murto improved the former Finnish record of 472 cents by 13 cents. The result sidelines the Greek Time of Stefanidin race record.

After Murro, Stefanidi won the EC silver with a score of 475 and warmly congratulated the Finn, whose victory he could not take as a surprise.

“I knew it was Wilma’s turn,” Stefanidi said.

Heli Koivula was in triple jump with EC silver in 2002 at the same Munich Olympic Stadium. Mikaela Ingeberg then threw a bronze javelin.

Finland’s previous EC medal was six years ago, when Antti Ruuskanen was third in the javelin throw in 2016 in Zurich.

The previous EC gold won by women was 28 years ago, when Sari Essayah brought it on foot in 1994 in Helsinki.

En route For the EC gold, Murto exceeded the Finnish record three times: first 475, then 480 and finally 485, in which there was still air between Murto and the bar.

With his winning result, Murto can succeed in any competition, all the way to Olympic gold.

“This race will still be remembered, even if I skip the world championship someday. The long work was rewarded,” Murto said the night before Thursday at Munich’s legendary Olympic stadium, when the other athletes had already left.

Already years ago, Murto announced her goal to be the first Finnish woman to cross five meters.

“It’s still possible,” Murto said.

Long the work was indeed rewarded. It is valuable in terms of money as well. Murto gets to jump next week in the Diamond League competition in Lausanne.

The Finnish Sports Confederation SUL pays a 10,000 euro bonus for the EC gold, 25 percent of which goes to the coach Jarno Koivunen.

Koivus had a lot of work to hide his tears. When Murto secured the medal, Koivunen asked him if he wanted to win gold?

“I said that I wanted to and I just shook my head that it was crazy,” Murto laughed.

Koivunen told Murro to choose the second stiffest jump with which he has ever jumped. It was a so-called risky move that paid off.

“After the winning height of 485, I already had to praise Wilma a little. I believed he could jump 480,” Koivunen said.

in the World Cup a month ago Murto was sixth (460) and the third best European in Eugene. Already at the World Championships, Murto knew he was in good shape. He was already looking forward to the European Championship.

After Kulla was settled, Murto unleashed his feelings. She cried on the jumping mats with happiness after a difficult year.

Murto injured his foot during the reign and was certain that he would not have time to rehabilitate by the World Championships in July. Training didn’t start until late spring.

After the race, Murto was celebrated by his relatives and friends for a long time.

“The whole Murro family was there. A great memory, too,” Murto said.

The rest was incredible Finnish pole vaulting history.

A good button question for the coming years is, which athlete was the second best in Finland and the European champion in the Kaleva Games in the same year?

Elina Lampela was eleventh in the Munich final (440), but beat Murro in the Kaleva Games.

Lampela said that he followed Murro’s EC jumps like in a dream.

Also who attended their own moukari final at the same time Silja Kosonen and Krista Tervo excitedly followed Murro’s race, which they said gave them more power in their throws.

Both improved two notches from the World Championship rankings. Kosonen was fifth (69.27) and Tervo eighth with 67.85. The European championship was won with a surprisingly modest result of 72 meters and 72 centimeters.

Murro’s EC gold also ensured that SUL’s chairman Sami Itani may be true. He had threatened to resign if Finland did not get any medals from the World Championships or European Championships.

You can already say that the stick saved Finland and Itani.