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Kasper Sagen became Norwegian champion this fall just four years after he first picked up the spear. Now the 21-year-old is clear that he will meet the requirement for the 2024 Olympics.
With a winning shot of 79.90 meters, twelve meters longer than the silver winner, Sagen was superior in the September National Championships.
The 21-year-old is now compared to Norway’s best male javelin thrower in the past two decades. The breed in question was the longest Norwegian breed since his own role model, Andreas Thorkildsen.
See the winning NM cast:
Throughout childhood, it was handball that was in focus. After the career change, it is the 2024 Olympics that are set as the target of the promising javelin thrower.
It was Nordstrands Blad who first mentioned Sagen’s career change.
The olympic dream
That Sagen won gold at NM in September was not a shock to the 21-year-old, but what was duration was.
– This year the goal was gold. Twelve meters to the silver winner, on the other hand, was unexpected – there’s a lot to the javelin throw, says Sagen.
The winning throw, which finished just under 80 meters, is five meters from the Olympic requirement for 2024, which is 85 meters.
Despite only 4 years with the spear in hand, the 21-year-old is determined to work hard enough to meet this requirement.
-It’s not a dream, it’s a goal.
Åsmund Martinsen, Sagen’s coach, is equally optimistic when it comes to qualifying for an Olympics.
– I am sure that in the long run Kasper will have the chance to qualify for the Olympics, Åsmund tells Nettavisen.
Martinsen met Sagen through a circuit project he had a few years ago when Sagen was still a handball player.
– He is a super boy with a lot of desire and a lot of desire to train, who also has great physical talent. In other words, it was just fun being able to help him achieve his goals.
If the Norwegian champion can be better than his role model Andreas Thorkildsen, Martinsen thinks it is too early to say anything about it.
– I think Kasper can be much better than he is now. It’s hard for me to compare him to Andreas, as he was one of the best javelin throwers in the world throughout the centuries, he says.
Changed ambitions
Although one might think that the javelin throw was what Sagen had been doing his entire life, it was handball that was in focus until 2016.
– I wanted to bet on handball almost until I quit, Sagen tells Nettavisen.
It was not entirely coincidental that the choice of sport fell on javelin throws.
I threw a spear at fun one time early in elementary school and did reasonably well. I have also liked to shoot my whole life, which is natural considering handball and the number of shots I did there.
When asked if Sagen regrets not starting javelin betting earlier, the answer is divided.
– I have gained a lot of versatility with handball. At the same time, the javelin throw is a highly technical exercise that requires time to develop sufficient explosiveness and strength. I think maybe I could have had a better basic form if I had started earlier.
Sagen, who had been involved in team sports while growing up, soon discovered that it was aspects of individual sports that tempted him the most.
– I have always liked self-training and being able to manage my own training routine, of course it is easier in individual sports.
Damaged
When Sagen put handball on the shelf in 2016, it wasn’t just out of desire for new challenges, it was also a bit plagued with injuries.
– In fact, I got really tired of having injuries that hampered me, he says.
Although javelin throwing isn’t as painful as handball, it hasn’t been completely painless for the 21-year-old after he switched sports.
In addition to some back problems, Sagen recently underwent meniscus surgery on his knee.
– I had surgery on my knee two weeks ago. I managed to damage the meniscus in one approach, so they had to remove a small part of the meniscus.
However, the case is relieved because the operation is not as extensive as it originally supposed.
– I can already go to train most of the strength exercises, so luckily it goes pretty fast. Luckily I didn’t have to sew, it had taken longer to come back, so I am very happy that it was like this after the operation.
The fact that you expect to be in full training before Christmas means that you are not worried about the competitions and competitions that start in the spring.
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