Ari Mannio

Ari Pekka Mannio[1] (born July 23, 1987 in Lehtimäki, Finland) is a Finnish javelin thrower.

Ari Mannio
Ari Mannio at the 2010 Bislett Games
Personal information
Born (1987-07-23) July 23, 1987
Lehtimäki, Finland
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight100 kg (220 lb)
Sport
Country Finland
SportAthletics
Event(s)Javelin
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)86.82 Raseborg 7 June 2015

Early career

Mannio first represented Finland internationally at the 2003 European Youth Olympic Festival in Paris, France, where he won the bronze medal.[2] 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.[3] In 2005, Mannio's first full year with the men's implement, he claimed a bronze at the European Junior Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania.[4]

2006 saw Mannio's first successes against adult throwers, as he claimed a bronze medal at the 2006 Finnish Championships.[5] 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.[6] 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,[7] Mannio was narrowly pushed out of the medals altogether and had to be content with 4th.[8]

2008 still featured steady development, as Mannio recorded a new personal best of 81.54 in June 2008.[9] 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.

Elite career

Mannio opened 2009 with a massive personal best of 85.70, an improvement of more than four metres on his previous best.[1] This mark was only beaten that year by five throwers worldwide[10] 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.[1] He also finally struck international gold: again entering the European U23 Championships 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.[11]

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.[12] This left the fourth spot between Mannio and Antti Ruuskanen.[12] 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.[13]

He qualified for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games, reaching the final in 2012.[14]

Seasonal bests by year
  • 2003 - 60.58
  • 2004 - 70.63
  • 2005 - 76.40
  • 2006 - 79.68
  • 2007 - 80.31
  • 2008 - 81.54
  • 2009 - 85.70
  • 2010 - 85.12
  • 2011 - 85.12
  • 2012 - 84.62
  • 2013 - 84.65
  • 2014 - 83.70
  • 2015 - 86.82
  • 2016 - 81.38

References
  1. Jalava, Mirko. "Tilastopaja OY — urheilijatietokanta". Tilastopaja Oy.
  2. "Suomi saanut 26 mitalia EYOF-kesäkisoista" (in Finnish). Finnish Olympic Committee. 2009-07-13. Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  3. "World Junior Championships in Athletics 2004 - Results Javelin Throw M Final". IAAF. 2004-07-16. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  4. "European Athletics Junior Championships Results" (pdf). European Athletic Association. 2005-07-24. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  5. Jalava, Mirko (2006-07-24). "Pitkämäki, 88.17m champs record, Evilä back to fitness is over 8m – Finnish Champs". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  6. "Reports : Men's Javelin Throw Final". IAAF. 2006-08-19. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  7. "European Athletics U23 Championships begin in Debrecen — Day One Morning Report". European Athletic Association. 2007-07-12. Archived from the original on 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  8. "European Athletics U23 Championships : Results" (pdf). European Athletic Association. 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  9. Turner, Chris (2008-06-29). "Wirkkala joins Pitkämäki in Beijing; another five 'A' standard throwers must wait – Finnish Javelin Carnival". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  10. "2009 Toplists jt m". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  11. Butcher, Michael (2009-07-19). "European U23 Champs — Day Three". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  12. Sonninen, Antti-Pekka (2009-06-29). "Pitkämäki wins carnival with 86.47m, as Finnish spear quartet takes shape for Berlin". IAAF. Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  13. Jalava, Mirko. "Wirkkala takes first Javelin title, Keskisalo under 3:40 in 1500m — Finnish champs report". IAAF. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07.
  14. "IAAF: Ari Mannio | Profile". iaaf.org. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
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