Thorkildsen returns after injury to take on Finland’s finest
2011-06-24 20:20 by Administrator
The Kuortane International meeting in Finland on Saturday, a European Athletics Outdoor Area Permit Meeting, should see the return of Norway’s reigning Olympic, world and European javelin champion Andreas Thorkildsen.
Thorkildsen, the 2008 European Athlete of the Year, has been out of action for five weeks after suffering a groin strain at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Shanghai last month.
He will face his regular rival Tero Pitkamäki, Finland’s 2007 world champion, as well as the host country’s rapidly improving 2009 European Athletics Junior Championships javelin gold medallist Ari Mannio.
Also in competition will be Latvia’s Zigismunds Sirmais, who deprived Thorkildsen of his world junior record earlier this year, and Czech duo Vitezslav Vesely and Jakub Vadlejch. In total, 10 athletes with personal bests marks of over 80 metres.
source: european-athletics.org