Pole vaulter Wilma Heltelä returns to top form with season-best jump in Athens

Pole vaulter Wilma Heltelä is back in top form, clearing 4.81 meters at a competition in Athens, Greece. This jump matches her second-best career performance and is her highest since early 2024, making it the best of the season for athletes competing in the upcoming European Championships in Birmingham.

Heltelä, 28, expressed immense relief and happiness with her performance. "A really, really good feeling. So relieving," she said by phone from Athens. "I've felt in my skin the past few weeks that I can keep the bar up. This feels like a moment of reward after the challenges of the last 2-3 years."

In recent years, Heltelä has battled health problems, and her performance level has fallen short of the Finnish record of 4.85 meters that won her the European gold medal in 2022. Just a week prior, she managed only 4.45 meters at the Diamond League meet in Paris. "No magic tricks have been done in a week. It's been a 1-2 year struggle to start building confidence. It has been built day by day and jump by jump."

Heltelä began her competition in Athens at 4.31 meters, clearing it on her first attempt. She skipped 4.41 meters but cleared 4.51 meters on her first try. The same pattern continued at 4.61 meters. She cleared 4.71 meters on her second attempt, as did 4.81 meters. However, the record height of 4.86 meters proved too much. "The overall impression was very good, the jumps improved towards the end, and I got to use a bigger pole," she noted. "I felt sure and calm about my actions. My actions became bigger, bolder, and more open-minded."

Despite failing to clear 4.86 meters on three attempts, Heltelä was satisfied with her progress. She admitted a slight letdown after 4.81 meters, partly due to running out of pole length. She used her largest available pole for the 4.81m attempt, gripping it at the very end. "It was a big deal to try for 4.86. If it had been a major championship, I would have hoped for a pole change. I need to bring a bigger pole for the next trip," she said. Heltelä will next compete in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 16.