Wilma Murto is a Finnish pole vaulter athlete. She won the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, equalling the championships record and setting a new Finnish record. Wilma Murto also won gold at the 2023 European Indoor Championships, making her the first Finnish woman in history to win gold at these championships. She was the 2016 World Under-20 Championships and 2017 European U20 Championships bronze medallist.
Wilma Murto was born on June 11, 1998, in Kuusjoki, Finland. She started in athletics from an early age and proved her skills.
Wilma Murto started competing already in 2011 in local events. She won the golds at the Hameenlinna and Turku Tilastopajacup. The next season she continue improving her best and claim victory at the Espoo Youth Athletics, Sastamala, Mynamaki, and Salo Pole Vault Meeting.
In 2013, she competed at the 12th European Youth Olympic Festival and despite not winning a medal, she continue being one of the top performing youth Finland’s athletes.
Wilma Murto made her international debut at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics held in Eugene, Oregon at the age of sixteen. During the season she won the silver at the Kuopio Finnish Championships
In 2015, she competed at the Eskilstuna European Junior Championships. The same year, she was second at the Tampere Finnish Indoor Championships and won Turku Finnish U18 Indoor Championships.
Wilma Murto started competing in the Diamond League already in 2016. She finished 8th at the Roma Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea and 5th at the Birmingham British Athletics GP. She won the bronze at the Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships and participated at the European Athletics Championships, finishing 7th. During the season, she competed also at the Rio 2016 Olympics but did not reach the final.
During the next three seasons, Wilma Murto proved to be the top Finish pole vaulter and competed at the 2017 Beograd European Indoor Championships, the 2017 Grosseto European U20 Championships (winning the bronze), and the 2018 European Athletics Championships, the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the 2019 European Athletics Team Championships, and 2019 European U23 Championships.
In 2021, Wilma Murto competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, finishing 5th. She also took part at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, finishing 6th. During the season she won her first podium at the Diamond League event, finishing third at the Muller British GP.
In 2022, Wilma Murto finished 6th at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene and won the pole vault title at the European Athletics Championships in Munich. She also won another bronze from the Diamond League event – Athletissima.
Wilma Murto proved to be the top European pole vaulter after winning the title at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul.
Wilma Murto holds the Finnish national records outdoors (4.85) and indoors (4.80m) and the world U20 indoor record (4.71m).
Wilma Murto photos
