Athletics EC: Great news about Oliver Helander – finally healthy

Finland Oliver Helander starts Thursday’s javelin qualifying from a rare and downright crazy starting point.

He’s been healthy for a long time – or at least as healthy as a javelin thrower can be.

Helander’s last summer was very ragged due to a proximal contusion injury. Two years ago, he suffered from bad back problems all summer, even though he threw EC bronze in Rome.

“Am I really completely healthy at the moment? Maybe. It depends on who you ask. But in my opinion, my health is at a really good level at the moment.”

That alone is very tickling that he has been able to prepare for Birmingham as it was intended, and it has not been necessary to make big compromises in training.

“Self-confidence is really high,” Helander says.

Helander last time competed in the Kaleva Games in Jyväskylä at the end of July. He missed the javelin throw, but he crossed 80 meters three times.

“The Kaleva competitions showed that I can throw far again. Especially one throw that barely overstepped was at least almost 84 meters. I have a feeling that I can improve on that a bit more.”

The Jyväskylän race was also special because Helander introduced a new technique: he no longer dived after his throw. Throwing is something that experts and former javelin throwers have twisted to the point of boredom over the years.

Helander’s own measure came full after June’s Mikkelin Games. In the practice throw, he stayed upright and raced “super easily” over 80 meters. During the competition, he fell and didn’t even clear 79 meters.

“It annoyed me so much that I had to make a change. In the Kaleva Games, I decided to stay upright and I had much better control of the throw than earlier this season.”

The man from Mikkeli Kilpa-Veikkou started to fall after his throw in 2022. According to his story, he had fallen only a couple of times in the previous seasons.

Helander reminds that he also threw himself after his record arc of 89.83 from four years ago, so the plunge itself is not a problem. He just did it wrong.

“My problem has been that I plunged already during the throwing phase, not after the throw. Then the whole timing goes completely wrong. I feel like I have better control of the technique when I stay upright.”

In July Helander, who has become a father, is throwing his new coach, an Estonian, in his first season Magnus Kirtin with.

The cooperation has gone well. Before the EC trip, Kirt traveled to his protégé in Copenhagen to supervise the preparatory throwing practice.

Kirt has not made major changes to Helander’s training.

“It’s not 100% the same as before, but still pretty close. A javelin thrower trains like a javelin thrower trains.”

“You shouldn’t change things too much, especially at this age.”

Helander expects “good success” from Thursday’s qualifying and “a little better” from Saturday’s final.

“A good 84 meters has usually been enough for medals in the European Championships.”

They complete the Finnish spear trio Top Parviainen and Eemil Porvari.