Berlin GL 2009: mJavelin (Tero Pitkämäki 86.53)

[LopenUupunut]

Decided to put an event thread up early. Going by the start lists, it could be the only event thread we need...

DE ZORDO, Matthias GER 1988 82,51 m 80,15 m
RUUSKANEN, Antti FIN 1984 87,33 m 78,39 m
MAKAROV, Sergey RUS 1973 92,61 m 80,63 m
KOVALS, Ainars LAT 1981 86,64 m 81,62 m
JÄRVENPÄÄ, Tero FIN 1984 86,68 m --,-- m
PITKÄMÄKI, Tero FIN 1982 91,53 m 82,90 m
JANIK, Igor POL 1983 84,76 m 83,30 m
FRANK, Mark GER 1977 84,88 m 83,86 m
WIRKKALA, Teemu FIN 1984 84,68 m 84,68 m
VASILEVSKIS, Vadims LAT 1982 90,73 m 90,71 m
THORKILDSEN, Andreas NOR 1982 91,59 m 88,97 m

I don't expect a very good opener from Järvenpää - he's still recovering and would probably have skipped even this meet if it wasn't both Golden League and practice for the World Champs. (IIRC he's had problems in the past with the soft Berlin track.)

I hope Pitkämäki will up his game just like Thorkildsen did after Doha. But more probably, the latter will simply smash the field (unless Vasilevskis gets a lucky one in). Ninety plus for the Norwegian if the winds are good...

[LopenUupunut]

Pitkämäki&coach sound very confident ahead of comp. Good, but doesn't necessarily mean much - they sounded confident ahead of Seinäjoki last week...

Ruuskanen at least knows what his (for a Finnish jav guy very unusual) problem is. Not that the diagnosis is difficult...

If I can get the javelin higher it should easily go beyond eighty. [...] We've got that right in training already.

[IFK_Vaxjo]

Good start for Pitkimäki, 85.39 in the first attempt!

[LopenUupunut]

Pitkämäki&coach sound very confident ahead of comp.]

85.39 opener!
Thorkildsen takes first round lead with 85.48 though. But his supporting leg wasn't as impressive as last week - could be because of soft track?

[LopenUupunut]

Re: Berlin GL 2009: mJavelin

I don't expect a very good opener from Järvenpää - he's still recovering and would probably have skipped even this meet if it wasn't both Golden League and practice for the World Champs. (IIRC he's had problems in the past with the soft Berlin track.)

Yup, out after 3 rounds. (Ruuskanen likewise, which was more disappointing, though not a mega-surprise given his technical problems last week and the fact he's never been that solid.)

The Finns not nearly as good as they should. Seppo Räty will probably call them a @$%&ing disgrace. Mannio should have been here... very solid at the moment with 82+ in all comps this year.

[LopenUupunut]

Pitkämäki 86.53 in 4th round!

[LopenUupunut]

Just like last year, Pitkämäki won here when everyone thought Thorkildsen would. Perhaps the track doesn't suit Thorkildsen? Bodes well for WC defense

[Per Andersen]

Thorkildsen could not really get going in Berlin. That has also been the case in the past. He does not know why but hopes it will help that during the WC they will throw in the opposite direction.

According to Norwegian papers Pitkamaki was not particularly happy with his result either, despite the win.

[LopenUupunut]

According to Norwegian papers Pitkamaki was not particularly happy with his result either, despite the win.

I hope this were true, as it would indicate there's much more in the tank, but unfortunately Finnish media doesn't have that at all. It's more "I'm very happy to have won (and beaten Thorkildsen in particular). I didn't expect that after last week. The throws felt good and flew smoothly" with many thanks to the masseur.

Perhaps he just wants to scare the Norwegians

[Powell]

And it was an excellent result for Igor Janik, finishing third with 83.52 SB. Last year, he threw 83.21 in Doha in early May, and then 84.76 in late September, but didn't have any 80 meter+ throws in between. Now it looks like he's finally finding consistency with two successive competitions over 83 meters, and a pretty good series, too.

[Barto]

I love that these guys go out and bang at each other all season long. No ducking and no excuses - just one great competition after another. I wish we could see that same attitude in some other events. Props to the spear chuckers!

[LopenUupunut]

Re: Berlin GL 2009: mJavelin

The Finns not nearly as good as they should. Seppo Räty will probably call them a @$%&ing disgrace.

Wrong guess. He instead opted for claiming most modern generation Finnish athletes aren't taking the sport seriously and devotedly enough. He's very probably spot on...