Andreas Thorkildsen

Kuortane, Finland – Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen made a solid come back after a groin injury in Kuortane where he won the Javelin competition with a 84.33m mark in the final round at the Finnish Elite Games on Saturday (25).

Thorkildsen opened the competition in the rain with 82.65m. That would have been far enough to seal the victory, but the two-time Olympic champion hit 82.36m in the fourth round, too. In all, three throws over the 80m line, a distance no one else could manage even once.

"I was more nervous than normally before the competition, because I hadn’t had any competitions in a month,” Thorkildsen said. “I’m satisfied with my result and the fact that I don’t feel any pain now. Of course it’s always something special to beat the Finns on their own soil."

Ari Mannio was the best Finn with his second round throw of 79.60 and Antti Ruuskanen set his season best 78.98 in the third round. Tero Pitkämäki, who has suffered from a lower back injury for some weeks, only reached 77.05m and placed fifth while Sweden´s Gabriel Wallin marked 78.76 in his third attempt.

"Quite pathetic! My last throw was not bad at all, but I threw it too high, but I feel, I’m in the best form of my life," Mannio said.

Pitkämäki, who threw less than 80 metres for the first time since 2004 and lost to a Swede for the first time, admitted that his situation is not very good at the moment.

"The injury did not bother me today, but my technique was very bad and I was not physically ready, either. Hopefully I’ll get the pieces together before my next competition in Lausanne’s Samsung Diamond League next Thursday."

Thorkildsen will also compete in Lausanne.

source: iaaf.org