Raisio plans land plot and market celebration for Silja Kosonen

Raisio is considering how to honour hammer thrower Silja Kosonen after her European Championship victory, with a plot of land and a market square celebration among the ideas, Yle reports.

Kosonen won gold in Birmingham late on Wednesday with a throw of 76.28 metres. Residents in her home city began discussing possible rewards on Thursday morning.

Hannu Dahlgren said a plot of land could be a suitable tribute, while a statue might be too much for a young athlete. Eija-Riitta Aalto also said Kosonen should be rewarded for her success, although she did not suggest a specific form of recognition.

Mirja Kellokoski, from Turku, said Kosonen’s winning margin of around two metres delighted her, even though she does not closely follow sport. She suggested that the celebration could follow the Finnish tradition of meeting in the market square.

Raisio City Manager Eero Vainio said the city had already begun planning a celebration for Kosonen. The timing will depend on her competition schedule, and the event is expected to take place in September.

Kosonen represents Turun Urheiluliitto, a sports club. The club’s athletics director, Antti Leskinen, described her as a dependable championship competitor who remained composed even after her first throw flew upwards and clanged against the edge of the hammer cage.

“Silja is cool-headed, focuses on the moment and is used to succeeding. She repeats the same performance at major championships,” Leskinen said.

Turun Urheiluliitto plans to honour Kosonen later. Other successful athletes from the club may also be recognised, including heptathlete Enni Virjonen, who won gold at the under-20 World Championships in the United States last week, and Alisa Launonen, the European under-18 heptathlon champion. That championship was held in Italy in July.