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| Former European indoor champion Ksenija Balta at the school of some Estonian athletes selected for the European Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Tallinn through 21-24 July. |
A recent roadshow saw top Estonian athletes visiting schools to congratulate some of the promising junior athletes selected to represent the host country at the Tallinn 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships.
In an attempt to spread awareness about the 21-24 July event in Estonia’s capital city and the sport of athletics, the Estonian Athletics Federation selected some well-known ambassadors for Tallinn 2011 to visit the schools.
The aim was to compliment junior athletes in front of their schoolmates and each of the selected athletes was presented with the official national team kit by the ambassadors. The ambassadors also invited pupils to watch the championships and support their friends.
The roadshow started with a visit to the historic city of Narva, in Eastern-Estonia, which is home to hammer thrower Ellina Anissimova. With a personal best of 57.84, she is the No. 1 junior thrower in the country. At Narva Grammar School, where she is completing her final year, Ellina was presented her national outfit by under-23 triple jumper Igor Syunin.
Ksenija Balta, former European indoor long jump champion and Estonian record holder in long jump, 100m and the 200m, visited Rocca al Mare School in Tallinn to present the national outfits to two junior long jumpers, Meelis Siimson and Kaia Soosaar. The school has a rich tradition for the sport and athletes at the school are trained by former Olympic triple jump champion Jaak Uudmí¤e.
Discus thrower Mí¤rt Israel, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, visited javelin thrower Liina Laasma at Tíµstamaa High School in South-West Estonia. Laasma set a personal best and a national junior record of 57.05m at the European Cup Winter Throwing in Sofia earlier this year.
Heptathlete Grete Å adeiko received her national outfit from her elder sister and fellow heptathlete Grit Å adeiko at her school Türi Economic Gymnasium, while runner Rasmus Mí¤gi was greeted by his elder sister and sprinter Maris Magi at her school Tartu Miina Hí¤rma Gymnasium.
Grete achieved her personal best score of 5705 points at the 2010 World Junior Championships where she finished fourth, falling short of a podium place by a single point. Rasmus, who also competed in the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris, has made the cut for the junior championships in both 400m hurdles and 400m. He is the Estonian under-23 and under-20 indoor record holder for 400m, and two-time under-20 record breaker for the 400m hurdles.
Maris Mí¤gi, Estonian record holder in the 400m indoors, 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 competed at the European juniors 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 major 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 Mí¤gi, who recently ran a personal best of 52.21 seconds in Sydney, and was one of the nominees for European Athlete of the Month for March.
The 21st European Athletics Junior Championships 2011 will be held in Tallinn, Estonia, through 21-24 July. For more information, visit http://www.tallinn2011.org/en