Ari Mannio
Encyclopedia
Ari Pekka Mannio is a Finnish javelin throw
er.
in Paris
, France
, where he won the bronze medal. The next year, he competed in the 2004 World Junior Championships
in Grosseto
, Italy
, placing 6th against boys up to two years older and setting a new personal best of 70.63 metres with the men's 800 gram javelin. In 2005, Mannio's first full year with the men's implement, he claimed a bronze at the European Junior Championships
in Kaunas
, Lithuania
.
2006 saw Mannio's first successes against adult throwers, as he claimed a bronze medal at the 2006 Finnish Championships
. However, even though he entered the World Junior Championships
in Beijing
, China
, as the world junior leader, he was convincingly beaten in the final by South Africa
's Robert Oosthuizen. The next year, he again failed to claim international gold despite having the best mark coming in; entering the European U23 Championships
in Debrecen
, Hungary
as the only man in the field to have broken 80 metres, Mannio was narrowly pushed out of the medals altogether and had to be content with 4th.
2008 still featured steady development, as Mannio recorded a new personal best of 81.54 in June 2008. However, he was still only the sixth best thrower in Finland that year and nowhere near making the three-man team for the Beijing Olympics
.
as the leading favorite, he was passed in the last round by Czech Republic
's Petr Frydrych
but rebounded with a championship record of 84.57.
Even so, he missed making Finland's four-man team for the 2009 World Championships
. Tero Pitkämäki
was named as the defending World Champion and Tero Järvenpää
based on his stellar 2008 season, while Teemu Wirkkala
, who like the other two had represented Finland at the Olympics the year before, qualified in the first trial meet at Pihtipudas
. This left the fourth spot between Mannio and Antti Ruuskanen
. Ruuskanen beat Mannio in many of the remaining meets, crucially including the Finnish Championships
, and got the last spot while Mannio was named a reserve.
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
er.
Early career
Mannio first represented Finland internationally at the 2003 European Youth Olympic FestivalEuropean Youth Olympic Festival
European Youth Olympic Festival, known by its initials EYOF, is a biennial multi-sport event for youth athletes from the 48 member countries of the association of European Olympic Committees. EYOF has a summer edition, held for the first time in Brussels in 1991, and a winter edition, which began...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he won the bronze medal. The next year, he competed in the 2004 World Junior Championships
2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 2004 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Grosseto in Italy.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-References:*. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-06-06....
in Grosseto
Grosseto
Grosseto is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies 14 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone river....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, placing 6th against boys up to two years older and setting a new personal best of 70.63 metres with the men's 800 gram javelin. In 2005, Mannio's first full year with the men's implement, he claimed a bronze at the European Junior Championships
2005 European Athletics Junior Championships
The 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships is the 2005 version of the European Athletics Junior Championships. It was held in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Notes and references:*...
in Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
2006 saw Mannio's first successes against adult throwers, as he claimed a bronze medal at the 2006 Finnish Championships
Finnish Championships in Athletics
The Finnish Championships in Athletics, which are known as Kalevan kisat in Finnish, were first held in Tampere in 1907. Since then, they have been held in a different location every year...
. However, even though he entered the World Junior Championships
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as the world junior leader, he was convincingly beaten in the final by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Robert Oosthuizen. The next year, he again failed to claim international gold despite having the best mark coming in; entering the European U23 Championships
2007 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 6th European Athletics U23 Championships was held between 12 and 15 July 2007 in the Gyulai István Athletic Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary.- Men :- Women :-Medal table:-References:General*-External links:**...
in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
as the only man in the field to have broken 80 metres, Mannio was narrowly pushed out of the medals altogether and had to be content with 4th.
2008 still featured steady development, as Mannio recorded a new personal best of 81.54 in June 2008. However, he was still only the sixth best thrower in Finland that year and nowhere near making the three-man team for the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Elite career
Mannio opened 2009 with a massive personal best of 85.70, an improvement of more than four metres on his previous best. This mark was only beaten that year by five throwers worldwide and would remain his season best, even though he also exceeded his 2008 best in all of his next four competitions and either exceeded or equalled it in a total of ten competitions over the year. He also finally struck international gold: again entering the European U23 Championships2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 7th European Athletics U23 Championships were held between 16 and 19 July 2009 in the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men's Results:-Women's Results:-Medal table:-References:General...
as the leading favorite, he was passed in the last round by Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
's Petr Frydrych
Petr Frydrych
Petr Frydrych is a Czech javelin thrower. His current personal best mark of 88.23 metres, thrown on May 27, 2010 in Ostrava, places him second on the Czech all-time list, behind only world record holder and three-time Olympic champion Jan Železný, who is currently his coach.-Early...
but rebounded with a championship record of 84.57.
Even so, he missed making Finland's four-man team for the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. Tero Pitkämäki
Tero Pitkämäki
Tero Kristian Pitkämäki is a Finnish javelin thrower and the former World Champion. Pitkämäki is known for his rivalry with Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen. The two are very close friends, however...
was named as the defending World Champion and Tero Järvenpää
Tero Järvenpää
Tero Mikael Järvenpää is a Finnish javelin thrower. He represents Tampereen Pyrintö on club-level and his coach is his father Pentti Järvenpää.His personal best throw is 86.68 metres, achieved in July 2008 in Tampere....
based on his stellar 2008 season, while Teemu Wirkkala
Teemu Wirkkala
Teemu Sakari Wirkkala is a Finnish javelin thrower. His personal best throw is 87.23 metres, achieved in July 2009 in Joensuu.-Achievements:-References:...
, who like the other two had represented Finland at the Olympics the year before, qualified in the first trial meet at Pihtipudas
Pihtipudas
Pihtipudas is a municipality of Finland.It is located in northern Central Finland along the highway 4 , about north of Jyväskylä in the province of Western Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
. This left the fourth spot between Mannio and Antti Ruuskanen
Antti Ruuskanen
Antti Hermanni Ruuskanen is a Finnish javelin thrower. His personal best throw is 87.33, achieved in 2008 in Kuortane. His coach is Antero Puranen....
. Ruuskanen beat Mannio in many of the remaining meets, crucially including the Finnish Championships
Finnish Championships in Athletics
The Finnish Championships in Athletics, which are known as Kalevan kisat in Finnish, were first held in Tampere in 1907. Since then, they have been held in a different location every year...
, and got the last spot while Mannio was named a reserve.