Ilona Mononen Explained

Ilona Mononen (born 18 December 2003) is a Finnish runner. She has won national indoor championship titles over 3000 metres and 5000 metres. She is the Finnish national record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase.^[1]

Career

She won gold at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn over 3000 metres aged 17 years-old.^[2] At the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, she finished eighth in the 1500 metres and fifth in the 3000 metres.^{[3] [4]}

At the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia she finished eighth again in the 1500 metres and fifth over 3000 metres.^[5] She competed in the 5000 metres at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.^[6] At the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin she won bronze in the U20 category in December 2022.^[7]

At the 2023 European Cross Country Championships she won silver in the under-23 category in Brussels.^[8]

In February 2024, she ran a national record over 3000 metres to win the Nordic Championship.^[9]

She ran a national record of 9:23.28 in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024.^[10] She competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the Women's 3000 metres steeplechase.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ilona Mononen. World Athletics. 9 June 2024.
2. Web site: 17-year-old Ilona Mononen, who won the EC gold, is a raw girl who rose from an "ok level" to the top of Europe in two years. yle.fi. 9 June 2024. 18 July 2021.
3. Web site: Ilona Mononen Fifth in the 3000 meters of the World Championships - "The group of four started at such a speed that I didn't dare to join them". hameensanomat. 9 June 2024. 19 August 2021.
4. Web site: World Athletics U20 Championships. World Athletics. 9 June 2024. 20 August 2021.
5. Web site: Ilona Mononen took 2 points from the Junior World Championships. lahdenakhera. 9 June 2024. 11 August 2022.
6. Web site: Klosterhalfen drove the Munich Olympic Stadium wild and capped off a difficult year with 5,000m European Championship gold – Richardsson gave the organizers a thumbs up. ess.fi. 9 June 2024. 19 August 2022.
7. Web site: Barnicoat pips Griggs in Euro Cross U20 thriller. Athletics Weekly. 9 June 2024. Jason. Henderson . December 11, 2022.
8. Web site: Megan Keith Wins U23 by a Huge Margin at Brussels European Cross Country. Runners Gazette. 9 June 2024. 13 December 2023.
9. Web site: Hard result in Lahti - Ilona Mononen found a gear and ran PM gold and a Finnish record. ess.fi. 9 June 2024. 11 February 2024.
10. Web site: European Championships. World Athletics. 9 June 2024. 9 June 2024.
11. Web site: Women's 3000m Steeplechase Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics. Watch Athletics. 30 August 2024. 6 August 2024.