 Murto at the 2022 Finnish Athletics Championships in Joensuu | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Wilma Anna Helena Murto |
| Born | June 11, 1998 Kuusjoki, Finland |
| Sport | |
| Country | Finland |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Pole vault |
| Coached by | Jarno Koivunen[1] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | |
Medal record | |
Wilma Anna Helena Murto (born 11 June 1998)[2] is a Finnish pole vaulter. She won the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich with a jump of 4.85 m (15 ft 10+3⁄4 in), equalling the championships record and setting a new Finnish record.[3][1] Murto also claimed victory at the 2023 European Indoor Championships, making her the first Finnish woman in history to win gold at these championships.[4]
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 4.71 m (15 ft 5+1⁄4 in).
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 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in), which represented a European youth (under-18s) best.[5]
On 31 January 2016, the 17-year-old set a new indoor world junior (under-20s) record in Zweibrücken, Germany, where she jumped 4.71 m (15 ft 5+1⁄4 in).[6] This result was also a new Finnish national record, beating Minna Nikkanen's previous best by 11 centimetres (4.3 in).[7]
In the following years, Murto struggled with form and it took her until the 2021 season to improve the record further, when she cleared 4.72 m (15 ft 5+3⁄4 in) at the Finnish Championships.[1] Also in the same season, she finished fifth at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her best senior championship result up to that point.[2]
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 4.85 m (15 ft 10+3⁄4 in). This mark equalled also the championship record of Katerina Stefanidi, who took silver this time behind Murto.[3] Also in 2022, she placed sixth at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.[2]
On 7 January 2023, she improved her own 6-year-old Finnish indoor record, clearing world-leading 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) on her first attempt in Kuortane.[8] Murto bettered her record at the European Indoor Championships held in March in Istanbul, soaring clear at 4.80 m (15 ft 8+3⁄4 in) on her first attempt for the gold medal.[4]
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Wilma Murto at the women's pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Munich on 17 August 2022.
