Mikko HirvonenTero at a javelin thrower training camp under the hot African sun
Potchefstroom, South Africa, 1–31 January 2008The training camp of the Finnish javelin thrower team in Potchefstroom, South Africa, started at the beginning of January, and the weather was summery. Coach Hannu Kangas stated at the very beginning of the camp that Potchefstroom is like the Mecca of javelin throwers and the conditions are excellent. Potchefstroom is 1,300 metres above the sea level which means that the athletes' lungs were effectively trained: it was clearly harder to train in the thin air. This is why a catchphrase was launched at the beginning of the camp: 'We are here to train people for the podium, not for berry picking'.
Top athletes from all around the world were also training close by: Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen and Russian Sergey Makarov were also in Potchefstroom. The Finnish javelin throwers arranged several playful competitions with the top men from the neighbouring countries during the camp, and the men closely studied how the others trained. The press also noted the gathering of top athletes by arriving on site, and at least one day was spent being photographed.
Javelin throwers are valued in South Africa: Tero was given a key to the private gym of a local javelin coach and permission to use all the equipment there. In addition to javelin throwing, the training programme included shot-putting, Pilates and gym training. The Finnish javelin team trained in good spirits: 'It is great to be able to see how they build up their team spirit and how committed they are to training. This can be seen in everything the men do when they are here,' said the satisfied coach Kangas.
Coach Kangas evaluated the success of the training rhythm and training basis midway through the training period, and he was happy: '50 javelin throws went very well, taking into account the fact that it was the 21st training session in 13 days.'
Tero also sent a message from the camp: 'We are approximately midway through the camp: we have been here for a little over two weeks. I have been training hard with Teemu and Antti. The training has gone fine, except for a minor back spasm which cleared up with muscular care. I'm physically able to match my best performances and I have been throwing better than at the same time last year,' Tero said.
There were adversities, but the training could still be carried through as planned. For example, a 1.5-kilometre swimming training had to be done in a 12-metre pool because there were a couple of hundred children in the larger pool. One time, a trainer kicked the javelin throwers out of the gym because the trainer wanted to train her runners there and did not want anybody else present. Fortunately, there was an alternative training site. There were also several power failures due to the fact that electricity is regulated in South Africa; this did not pose a major problem for the training, however.
The athletes' physical status improved as planned, and the records achieved in, for example, shot-putting were convincing: Teemu (Wirkkala) and Tero achieved five camp records in one night, one of which was an all-time record. With a four-kilogram ball over the head backwards: TP 25.85 metres, TW 23.90; from below forwards: TP 22.30, TW 21.10; and above the head forwards: TP 21.00, TW 19.10. The quality of Tero's throws evened out during the camp, and Tero was satisfied with his performance at the end of the camp. Based on the results, the trainers knew that the training programme was a success, and everybody returned to Finland healthy and happy.
Tero recapped the trip afterwards: 'The weather was favourable and the conditions were excellent, and thus there were all the preconditions needed for a good training camp.' A minor back spasm was treated during the camp, but it was quickly overcome: 'I was able to throw a lot and even a little harder during the latter part of the camp.'
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