Finnish pole vaulter Elina Lampela

Elina Lampela is an track and field athlete from Finland specializing in the pole vault. She has represented Finland in several significant championships, including the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024. At both the 2024 European Athletics Championships and the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, she achieved a fourth-place finish. She is a five-time national champion and one of the biggest athletics talents in the country.

Elina Lampela was born on February 18, 1998, in Irving, Texas, United States. She is from Finnish origin and later decided competing for Finland, although being eligible for the Team USA as well.

Elina Lampela started her competitive career already in 2011, winning the silver at the Espoo Finlandia Junior Games, clearing 3.10m. During the next season, she already improved her personal best to 3.50m, winning the silver at the Nastola Pole Vault Meeting, Somero Pole Vault Meeting, and Espoo Youth Athletics Games.

Elina Lampela made her debut at senior national championship already in 2013, finishing 5th at the Vaasa Finnish Championships with 3.80m. During the season, she crossed the 4-meter mark and cleared 4.02m to win the silver at the prestigious 12th European Youth Olympic Festival in Utrecht. Meanwhile, she won the gold at the Pudasjarvi Pohjantahti Games and Espoo Youth Athletics Games.

In 2014, Elina Lampela started the season strongly by winning the gold at the Pajulahti U18 Pole Vault Meeting, before finishing 8th at the Mustasaari Botnia Games and 6th at the Rovaniemi Finnish Indoor Championships. At the Somero U18 Meeting she cleared 4.05m, but did not stop and improved her personal best a few weeks later at the Kuortane Games to 4.10m, winning the bronze. At the Eugene IAAF World Junior Championships, Elina Lampela finished 9th repeating her personal best. At the end of the season, she won her first senior national honor, winning the bronze at the Kuopio Finnish Championships with 4.00m.

In 2015, Elina Lampela won another national honor, winning the bronze at the Tampere Finnish Indoor Championships. She finished 5th at the Pori Finnish Championships, but also competed at the Eskilstuna European Junior Championships, clearing 4.15m for the 4th place in the standings. However, that was not her season’s best, as earlier she cleared 4.16m for the 4th place at the Turku Paavo Nurmi Games and 4.32m for the gold at the Oulu U18 Meeting.

During the next seasons Elina Lampela did not recorded some significant achievements, winning the gold at the Pudasjarvi Pohjantähti Games in 2016, the silver at the Jyvaskyla Finnish Indoor Championships in 2017, as well as the gold at the Kuopio Hannes Junior Games in 2018. However, in 2018, she succeeded to stabilize her jumps to over 4.20m, clearing this height three times.

In 2019, Elina Lampela again suffered a relief in her form, although winning the gold at the United Pole Vaulters Cup and Tahtikisat in Helsinki. However, in 2020, she had a great season, improving her personal best to 4.50m for the silver at the Somero Seivaskisat and won the national silver medals at the Turku Finnish Championships and Tampere Finnish Indoor Championships. She also earned the bronze at the Helsinki Nordenkampen and Kuortane Games, but also finished 4th at the Paavo Nurmi Games.

In 2021, Elina Lampela made her Olympics debut, being part of the Team Finland for the Tokyo Games. Unfortunately, she missed to qualify for the finals after fouls in qualifications. However, during the season she won her first national title, triumphing at the Jyvaskyla Finnish Indoor Championships. She also won the gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games, the silver at the Kuortane Games, Vaasa Finnish Championships, Kalevan Kisat and Lahti Motonet GP. Moreover, she improved her personal best to 4.53m at the Jarno Koivusen kutsukisa, winning the gold.

Elina Lampela continue performing in top form in 2022. She won the national title at the Oulu Finnish Championships, but also triumphed at the Espoo Motonet GP, Helsinki Finnkampen, and Joensuu Kalevan Kisat, as well as earned the silver at the BoXX United Manchester World Indoor Tour. She competed at the Eugene World Athletics Championships and Munich European Athletics Championships, but missed the podium.

In 2023, Elina Lampela already settled as one of the top Finnish pole vaulters. She won the title at the Helsinki Finnish Indoor Championships and earned the bronze at the Lahti Finnish Championships. At the Budapest World Athletics Championships and Istanbul European Athletics Indoor Championships, she did not overcome the qualifications, but at the Paavo Nurmi Games won the silver with a new personal best of 4.56m. Meanwhile, during the season, she won the gold at the Memorial Josef Odlozil in Praha and Oulu Motonet GP, the silver at the International Rottacher Stabhochsprungmeeting and Stockholm Finnkampen, as well as the bronze at the Perche en or in Roubaix, Kuortane Games.

Elina Lampela competed at her second Olympics in 2024, finishing 14th in the final of the Paris Games pole vault event with 4.40m. She competed also at the Roma European Athletics Championships, finishing 4th with 4.58m. Her season was very strong, as she improved her personal best to 4.63m at the Taby Stavhoppsgala, where triumphed with the gold. Meanwhile, she won the silver at the Lahti Motonet GP Lahti and Oulu Motonet GP, as well as the gold at the Tyczka na Molo in Sopot. During the season, she won another national title at the Vaasa Finnish Championships.

Elina Lampela started the 2025 season with an achievement of 4.40m at the Czech Indoor Gala, which gave her 4th place. She continue by 4.55m at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe for the 5th place and again 4.55m at the Perche en Or in Roubaix for the silver. At the Kuortane Finnish Indoor Championships, she won her third national indoor title and improved her personal best to 4.70m at the Apeldoorn European Athletics Indoor Championships, finishing 4th. She competed also at the Nanjing World Athletics Indoor Championships, but remained 12th with 4.30m. Elina Lampela won the bronze at the 61° Palio Citta della Quercia in Rovereto and Filothei Women Gala in Athens, as well as the gold at the 21. International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, before debuting at the Diamond League’s BAUHAUS-Galan, where failed to record successful attempt. She won the silver at the Espoo Finnish Championships, as well as the gold at the Oulu Motonet GP and Stockholm Finnkampen, but also competed at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, where again failed to qualify for the finals.

Elina Lampela in numbers

1x European Youth Olympic Festival silver medalist
5x National Champion
Personal best: 4.70m (pole vault)

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