News
Athletics ambassadors visit junior athletes at their schools
Celebrating the upcoming European Athletics Junior Championships on July 21-24 in Tallinn, Estonian top athletes visited the schools of promising juniors as ambassadors of the event.
The visits took place at a road show which made five stops at various schools across Estonia. The aim was to compliment junior athletes who have already been confirmed in the European Championships team in front of their schoolmates. Each of the juniors were handed over the official team suit by the adult athletics star, who also invited the schoolmates to see the championships and support their friend.
The first visit was to Eastern-Estonia, the historic city of Narva, which is home to Ellina Anissimova – the junior hammer thrower, who is already number 1 in Estonian women with her top mark 57.84m. At Narva Grammar School where she studies in her final year, Ellina was greeted by U23 triple jumper Igor Syunin, another promising young athlete.
Discus thrower Märt Israel, current number 5 in the world season, visited javelin thrower Liina Laasma at Tõstamaa High School in South-West Estonia. Laasma’s personal best is 57.05m from the European Cup Winter Throwing Sofia 2011 is also the Estonian U20 record. The previous two U20 records too were in Laasma’s name.
Heptathlete Grete Šadeiko who studies at Türi Economic Gymnasium and runner Rasmus Mägi at Tartu Miina Härma Gymnasium received visits to their schools from their elder sisters, both accomplished athletes themselves, respectively heptathlete Grit Šadeiko and sprinter Maris Mägi. Grete’s current top mark is 5705 points from the 2010 World Junior Championships where she was left fourth by a single point. Rasmus, who also competed in the European Championships 2011 in Paris, has completed the norm for junior championships in both 400m hurdles and 400m and is also the Estonian U23 and U20 indoor record holder for 400m, and two-time U20 record broker for 400m hurdles.
The Rocca al Mare school in Tallinn, where PE is taught by Olympic Winner Jaak Uudmäe, has two junior long jumpers Meelis Siimson and Kaia Soosaar at the championships and a third athlete attempting the norm. They were greeted by long jump European indoors champion and Estonian record holder in long jump, 100m and 200m Ksenija Balta.
Maris Mägi, Estonian record holder in 400m indoors run, felt it was an important task for the athletes to visit the juniors’ schools. “In my brother’s case, I can easily imagine myself in his place. I have once too competed at the junior European Championships and I know how it feels. Also we should keep in mind that for some of these athletes this is going to be their first title championship ever and they are going to perform in front of the home audience. And as an ambassador it felt good to pass on the torch to the younger ones,” said Mägi, who recently run her personal best in Sydney at 52.21sec, and was one of the nominees for European Athlete of the Month for March.
In total, the hosting nation Estonia is hoping participate with a team of 25-30 junior athletes, including half a dozen top contenders.
21st European Athletics Junior Championships 2011 will be held in Tallinn, Estonia on July 21-24.
