SE sensation Sara Lappalainen finally got what she wanted. The women’s 800 meters has become the most interesting sport of the Finnish athletics summer, writes Urheilu’s Joel Sippola.
Joel SippolaSports journalist
The clear number one name in women’s middle distances in recent years Sara Lappalainen the lack of tough competition on the Finnish racetracks upset the person who signed it just over two years ago. According to him, it was almost impossible to run under 2:03 in the domestic 800 meters.
Even at that time, the Achilles runner of Porvoo, known as Sara Kuivisto, was a completely sovereign individual both on the track and 1,500 meters. In the Kaleva games, a little consolation was brought by the one-ton winner representing the Czech Republic at the value competition level Kristina Mäki.
The best demonstration of Lappalainen’s firepower was seen at the Tokyo Olympics, where he set as many Finnish records in his four runs. The 800m and 1500m SE times are currently recorded as 1:59.41 and 4:02.35.
However, a positive turn for Lappalainen and especially for the sport as a whole has been rumbling for a couple of years. This became concrete at the latest on Tuesday at the Tampere GP, where we saw the best women’s 800 meter race of all time in Finnish terms.
The winner of the race Eveliina Määttänen (1.59.99) was the first Finnish woman to break the two-minute mark again, twenty Veera Mattila shook the handsome under-23 SE (2:01.12) and Lappalainen, who recently returned from a long competitive break, did his best of the season with 2:01.16.
At the moment, the sport is bubbling comfortably domestically. With three tough athletes, we can talk about the most competitive athletics in Finland at the moment.
1. Sara Lappalainen 1.59.41 (-21)
2. Eveliina Määttänen 1.59.96 (-23)
3. Määttanen 1.59,99 (-23)
4. Lappalainen 2.00,03 (-21)
5. Lappalainen 2.00,15 (-21)
6. Määttanen 2.00.57 (-23)
7. Tuuli Merikoski 2.00.59 (-91)
8. Lappalainen 2.00,75 (-21)
9. Määttanen 2.00,79 (-23)
10. Veera Mattila 2.01,12 (-23)
Joker card of the WC team
Finland is going to the World Championships in Athletics starting in just over a week with an exceptionally large team of 40 athletes. The tip is the sharpest for 2–3 athletes for a long time, but compared to last year, for example, there is not the same extent.
About last summer’s successful people or successful people Top Raitanen, Kristiina Mäkelä, Krista Tervo and Senni Salminen are not at such a level that would give an indication of the points leader (top-8) or a place in the finals. Saga of Vanni apart from that, no clear new Finnish athletes capable of scoring points have taken their place.
However, there is always room for surprises. Such a potential name is root Eveliina Määttänen.
The scenario seems utopian if you look at the international rankings of Määttänen, who ran his record 1:59.96 this summer. He is ranked 51st in the world statistics and 20th in Europe.
However, the 800 meters is a sport in value competitions where statistics should not be given too much weight. Tactics and the right game moves are emphasized in value race runs.
Määttänen’s speed reserve allows the seams to fight for the next place. His four fastest times this season are 1:59.96, 1:59.99, 2:00.57 and 2:00.79. The former 400-meter hurdler, who moved to 800 meters a year ago, has also improved a lot in terms of tactics.
The 27-year-old runner showed in Tampere that he is in strong shape during the World Championships. Even though the opening lap was chased by a hare, Määttänen still almost pulled the race with his own solo stroke, leaving behind, among other things, the Olympic standoff by Alexandra Bell.
The significance of the second fastest time of Määttänen’s career is also underlined by the fact that the race was run in a gusty wind that ate up time.
Määttänen stated in an interview with that the performance in such conditions brought self-confidence for the upcoming games. According to him, the time can still improve a lot.
A Lapland’s example
Määttänen can take more confidence from the feat of four years older Sara Lappalainen in the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics.
Lappalainen was 11th and was close to the final place. He ran in a tough heat two, where SE time 1:59.41 was enough for sixth place. In the first semi-final, the time would have been like a final.
Määttäsen has the guts to run under 1.59, which would mean breaking the Finnish record. It is also the time to fight in the appropriate round to reach the top eight, i.e. the final. That would be a bigger bang than Sara Lappalainen’s four SE times.
Lappalainen’s main distance will be 1,500 meters in the future. However, the most interesting name in terms of the future is Veera Mattila, born in 2003, who surprised Espoo with her silver medal at the European Youth Championships.
Mattila has improved his record by more than four seconds this year. Mattila, who makes tactically good runs and cleverly navigates the inner track, is a potential medalist in this sport’s adult competition.
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