Wilma Murto Explained

Wilma Murto
Birth Name:Wilma Anna Helena Murto
Birth Date:11 June 1998
Birth Place:Kuusjoki, Finland
Country:Finland
Sport:Athletics
Event:Pole vault
Coach:Jarno Koivunen
Show-Medals:yes

Wilma Anna Helena Murto (born 11 June 1998)[1] is a Finnish pole vaulter. She won the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich with a jump of, equalling the championships record and setting a new Finnish record. Murto also claimed victory at the 2023 European Indoor Championships, making her the first Finnish woman in history to win gold at these championships.

She was the 2016 World Under-20 Championships and 2017 European U20 Championships bronze medallist. Murto currently holds Finnish national records out and indoors and world U20 indoor record of .

Career

Wilma Murto made her international debut at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics held in Eugene, Oregon at the age of sixteen. On 27 December 2015, she cleared a new best of, which represented a European youth (under-18s) best.[2]

On 31 January 2016, the 17-year-old set a new indoor world junior (under-20s) record in Zweibrücken, Germany, where she jumped .[3] This result was also a new Finnish national record, beating Minna Nikkanen's previous best by .[4]

In the following years, Murto struggled with form and it took her until the 2021 season to improve the record further, when she cleared at the Finnish Championships.[5] Also in the same season, she finished fifth at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her best senior championship result up to that point.

At the 2022 European Athletics Championships final, Murto cleared three Finnish records to take her first senior international championship medal, a gold. She improved her outdoor best with a remarkable 13 centimetres to . This mark equalled also the championship record of Katerina Stefanidi, who took silver this time behind Murto.[6] Also in 2022, she placed sixth at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

On 7 January 2023, she improved her own 6-year-old Finnish indoor record, clearing world-leading on her first attempt in Kuortane.[7] Murto bettered her record at the European Indoor Championships held in March in Istanbul, soaring clear at on her first attempt for the gold medal.[8]

Statistics

Personal bests

International competitions

Wilma Murto at the women's pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Munich on 17 August 2022.

2014World Junior ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States25th (q)3.75 m
2015European Indoor ChampionshipsPrague, Czech Republic–DNS
European Junior ChampionshipsEskilstuna, Sweden–NH
2016European ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands7th4.45 m
World U20 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland3rd4.40 m
Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil24th (q)4.30 m
2017European Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia8th4.40 m
European U20 ChampionshipsGrosseto, Italy3rd4.15 m
2018European ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany17th (q)4.35 m
2019European Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom18th (q)4.10 m
European U23 ChampionshipsGävle, Sweden5th4.20 m
European Team Championships Super LeagueBydgoszcz, Poland8th4.21 m
World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar22nd (q)4.35 m
2021European Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland6th4.55 m
Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan5th4.50 m
2022World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States6th4.60 m
European ChampionshipsMunich, Germanybgcolor=gold1st4.85 m =
2023European Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul, Turkeybgcolor=gold1st4.80 m
World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary3rd4.80 m[9]
2024World Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom9th
European ChampionshipsRome, Italy8th4.43 m
Olympic GamesParis, France6th4.70 m

National titles

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wilma MURTO – Athlete Profile . . 2021-01-01.
  2. News: Murto breaks European youth mark. European Athletics. 4 January 2016. 8 January 2016.
  3. Web site: Knuuttila. Mikko. Video: Maailmanennätys Suomeen! Wilma Murto paransi ME:tä kahdesti Saksassa. https://web.archive.org/web/20160131160936/http://www.iltasanomat.fi/yleisurheilu/art-1454210872538.html. dead. January 31, 2016. Ilta-Sanomat. Sanoma Media Finland Oy. 14 February 2016. Helsinki. fi. 31 January 2016.
  4. Web site: Mills . Steven . 31 January 2016 . Murto clears world U20 pole vault record of 4.71m in Zweibrucken . 14 February 2016 . . IAAF.
  5. Web site: Whittington . Jess . 2022-10-20 . A pole vault journey that has seen Murto soar full circle . 2022-10-20 . World Athletics.
  6. Web site: 18 August 2022 . Finnish Youngster Wilma Murto Denies Two-time Defending Champ Stefanidi's Triple in European Champs . 18 August 2022 . Greek City Times.
  7. Web site: Holopainen . Pekka . 7 January 2023 . Wilma Murto rysäytti ennätyshypyn! Taustalla huima yksityiskohta . 7 January 2023 . . fi.
  8. Web site: Dennehy . Cathal . 4 March 2023 . Turkish delight for Danismaz! Triple jump gold for Tugba in Istanbul . 4 March 2023 . . en.
  9. News: Arkko . Simo . Wilma Murrolle MM-pronssia! . 23 August 2023 . . fi . World Championships bronze to Wilma Murto!.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wilma Murto".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.