Thorkildsen, Pitkämäki: A quest for two in the Javelin Throw

Statistically speaking, the winner of this year’s Javelin Throw competition at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games will be Andreas Thorkildsen. The Olympic and World Champion won on home soil in 2006 and 2008, while his big oponent Tero Pitkämäki from Finland was not to be beaten in the odd years 2005, 2007, and 2009.

At the Press Conference held in the meet hotel Radission Blu Plaza today, both athletes stressed the fact of the spectators influence. “The crowd is amazing in Oslo”, Pitkämäki said, “they cheer, they know what’s going on.” Thorkildsen added: “The crowd helps you going, they produce a kind of better atmosphere.”

The two super-stars aren’t even in all issues. Pitkämäki had an up-and-down preparation during winter times, good training performances changed with not-so-good ones. He struggled with his run-up, but his goal does not change for tomorrow’s competition: to throw longer than Andreas does.

In the head-to-head, the Finn will remain in the lead also if losing. At the moment, the score is 26-24 against Thorkildsen. But this is not that important. “I had a fantastic training season”, the athlete from Kristiansand said. “There were no injuries leading up to the competition season and I was able to work more consistently on a higher level.”

Thorkildsen’s personal best dates from 2006, when he threw the javelin 91,59 meters. With a seasonal best of 90,37 on May 29th in Florø already achieved, he will attack his long-standing mark now. “In 2006, it was at the Bislett Games. It would be the nicest place imagineable to do it again”, Thorkildsen said. “The expectations are high, for sure.”

Both athletes agreed that the new counting system will bring excitement and tension in the Diamond League’s javelin throw competitions until the final in Brussels later this year. With the old system, one athlete had to win all competitions to receive the jackpot or a share of it. With the new one, the winner gets 4 points, the runner-up 2 and the third placed 1. Who achieves most points will be honoured with a diamond. “We already know that someone will win this price”, Pitkämäki commented. “We have two important titles to fight for this season”, Thorkildsen said, “the European Championships and the diamond.”

Fast, consistent and powerful is how the athlete from Ilmajoki (360 km north of Helsinki) describes his Norwegian counterpart. Tall, handsome and Finnish countered Thorkildsen. But the most important answers will be given on the field of play. Who will be the better one at the 2010 Bislett Games?