Silja Kosonen shakes up Arto Bryggare – “Let’s use it for good”

In the United States, they are trying to achieve strong results.

– The Americans’ performances have been thrown in easy conditions. I don’t think they are really in 79-meter condition.

This is how Iltalehti’s athletics expert Arto Bryggare slammed the US women’s hammer throwers for their fantastic performance in the early part of the season on Friday.

The world list is topped by the American trio of Brooke Andersen (79.29), Rachel Richeson (78.80) and DeAnna Price (78.51). Also in the top ten are Janee’ Kassanavoid (76.42) and Annette Echikunwoke (75.47).

Finnish young star Silja Kosonen does not endorse Bryggare’s claims.

– Yes, they should have just thrown those results away. The wind can’t do everything. I would give them these results, Kosonen says.

The world youth champion says he has seen videos of the throws. The wind was blowing in them, but there is nothing illegal about it.

– I don’t think it’s wrong to take advantage of such conditions. Why not, if there’s a chance? Usually, when it’s windy here in Finland, it’s always against us.

A different view

Kosonen believes that the conditions at the throwing sites reflect the appreciation of the sport in the United States.

– I’ve seen hoops there in every direction of the field. They can decide the direction of the throw based on the wind.

The United States’ hammer throwing success has arisen from peculiar starting points. In the country, people often only start taking up hammer throwing closer to adulthood because the sport is considered too dangerous in some states.

The school system still attracts throwers to study in the United States.

“There are university-level competitions in America, and shot put is a very popular sport there in the winter,” Kosonen says.

Learn about Finland

Kosonen would be happy if Finland also collaborated more with the Americans in hammer throwing.

– Of course, then they should also want to share their secrets with us. However, I think that throwing sports have generally been the kind of sports where people have wanted to share their own coaching methods. That would probably be quite possible.

The United States’ surge to the top of the world has put hammer throw in a whole new light. Gone are the days when people used to say that “a European hammer gold medal is the same as a World Championship gold medal.”

– It feels like the sport has been truly European for a long time. Russia, Germany and Poland have been at the forefront, Kosonen nods.