Tero Pitkamaki entered 2008 as the world’s top-ranked javelin thrower after winning the 2007 World Championship. He added a bronze to his medals collection at the Beijing Olympics.
First try:
Pitkamaki rose to prominence by reaching the final of the 2004 Olympics, where he finished eighth with a throw measuring 83.01 meters (272 feet, 4 inches), three-and-a-half meters short of Andreas Thorkildsen’s winning effort of 86.50 meters (283-9.5).
Leapfrog:
Pitkamaki and Thorkildsen have taken turns atop the javelin world rankings. Pitkamaki led at the end of the 2005 and 2007 seasons while the Norwegian finished the 2004 and 2006 seasons ranked first in the world. Thorkildsen also took the gold in Beijing. Off the track the two are known to be friendly.
Career highlights:
Pitkamaki won the 2007 World Championships, as well as the 2005 and ’07 World Athletics Final. He was second in the latter competition in 2006 and placed fourth in the 2005 World Championships. He achieved his personal best throw of 91.53 meters in 2005.
The stats:
- Height: 6-5
- Weight: 203
- Age: 25
- Birth date: December 19, 1982
- Hometown: Ilmajoki, Finland
- World Championships: One
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