“Finland is the home of javelin. They appreciate and love javelin, and the support is always great. I love being in Finland!”
Keshorn Walcott’s men’s javelin Olympic gold at the 2012 Games in London, England was historic in so many ways. He became the youngest ever Olympic javelin champion; first athlete to win an individual Olympic title and a world junior title in the same year; first ever black male Olympic throwing champion.
Walcott is also one of just two individual Olympic champions produced by Trinidad and Tobago, following in the footsteps of 1976 men’s 100 metres gold medallist Hasely Crawford. So, naturally, the Toco thrower is a celebrity at home. In Finland, though, he is an absolute superstar!
“A lot of people know you. I would go on the train and people would look at me and say ‘Hey, Walcott’. Obviously, I look a bit different so I kind of stand out,” a laughing Walcott told the Express.
“When you go to these major competitions, all the attention and hype is on the 100, 200 metres. But when you go to Finland, it’s the javelin. It makes you feel good as an athlete; makes you feel valuable and wanted. This gives you more incentive to give the people a better show. I would love to have major competitions in Finland.”
Finland’s love affair with the javelin event is understandable. Of the 27 Olympic Games men’s javelin gold medals awarded between 1908 and 2024, seven have gone to Finns. As the most successful nation in the event, Finland’s affinity to the spear is natural. In turn, Walcott, whose life revolves around the javelin throw, is drawn to the Scandinavian country.
“I have a lot of friends and associates there,” Walcott explained. “My agent, Tero Heiska is from Finland so it’s very easy for him to help and get me access to different things. The people are very welcoming, opening their doors to me, giving me access to whatever I need. They have some of the best facilities. Kuortane is one of the best training facilities for me in the world. They have everything.
“It might be a bit boring, but yeah, I love being in Finland, despite the terrible weather most times.”
As cold as Finland can be, the warmth of the fans makes it a preferred competition destination for Walcott. In fact, it is a source of inspiration for the Olympic champion’s Golden League Athletics —a series of track and field meets from December to March, aimed at identifying and nurturing young talent here in T&T.
“Part of my initial idea for the Golden League came from Finland. I have been competing in Finland for so many years, and I’ve done a lot of small competitions where the people are really close and right underneath you where they can give you that support. The atmosphere is right there. You could actually be in touch with the fans.”
Walcott competed at four meets in Finland this year, winning three times. At the last of those meets, the July 26 Kalvia Games in Kokkola, he topped the field with an 82.20 metres effort.
“Before the Olympic Games I had a competition where the people were right underneath you. It’s better to give them a show when they’re very close and supportive, so for the Golden League I want families right under their kids; right there so they can cheer and support. As an athlete, as a person, it gives you a different feeling. Part of that idea came from a lot of competitions I have done in Finland.”
Following his Kalvia Games triumph, Walcott travelled to Paris, France for the Olympic Games. The 31-year-old finished seventh in the final with an impressive 86.16m throw. At the end of the competition, he was the centre of Finnish media attention.
“I spend so much time in Finland. They tend to feel like you are part of their home, and they always try to keep tabs on your progress. Before Olympics, I was there for almost a month. They love javelin and have a rich history in javelin so if somebody goes there and trains at their facility, they always try to get the feedback to know what they can do differently.
“To me, there’s no other place you could go and feel, as a javelin thrower, that they appreciate you. So I would tell any javelin thrower,” Walcott ended, “if you want to feel great, go to Finland.”
OLYMPIC MEN’S
JAVELIN TITLES
7 Finland
3 Sweden
3 Germany
3 Norway
3 Soviet Union
3 Czech Republic
1 USA
1 Hungary
1 Trinidad and Tobago
1 India
1 Pakistan