Reetta Hurske withstood the pressure of the pre-favorite on Sunday and won the European championship in the 60-meter hurdles in Istanbul. Pious partner Topias Palmi followed the race from his cell phone hundreds of kilometers away in his own rented apartment in Romania.
– Half an hour before the final, I had to start doing something else, even though the broadcast was running all the time. I couldn’t just sit and wait, but everything useless got done when I was really excited to do it, Palmi, who plays basketball professionally in Craiova, tells .
Palmi himself was in top form on Saturday night, when he scored 29 points in Craiova’s 85-72 away win over Timisoara. The team got home late from the away trip, so Palmi woke up appropriately before Sunday’s first run.
– The alarm clock was ringing five minutes before the start of the semi-final, so it went without much tension, says Palmi.
If Palmi followed the competition in Romania on the phone screen, the executive director of Pyrinnö got to Tampere Elisa Hakanen to witness the championship of the club’s superstar from the parade ground.
– I got to follow the run very close to the finish line. It was really exciting. A couple of hours before the final, I couldn’t really do anything anymore, as my thoughts were already on the final, Hakanen said.
Palmi says that the risk of a stolen start is always the most exciting in races, because the start is Hurskee’s greatest strength.
– When we got over the first fence in the final, it was a big belief that we would go hard again, Palmi expressed.
Securing the championship was a memorable moment not only for the runner but also for the partner.
– The neighbors must have heard the loud scream first. It was a really happy and festive feeling, Palmi recounted the finish line of the speedster.
Hakanen has followed Hurske’s career since junior high. The recent European champion has already remained in Hakanen’s mind as a versatile and determined athlete. The championship sensitized the long-time Purintö resident.
– Tears came to my eyes when I thought about how much Reetta has worked for the championship. It was also wonderful to watch Reetta’s own emotional outbursts after the victory, Hakanen opened up about her feelings after the race.
From the changed setting to the European Championships
Hurske himself has said that he went to the EC halls because of a new situation. The speed skater, who had been in great shape all winter, was one of the early favorites of the competition, which others wanted to win. Earlier in his career, Hurske in particular had been a challenger.
– Now Reetta was not in the role of a challenger, but many others were challenging her. It was great how he performed despite all the tension and was able, so to speak, to do the work that had to be done, Palmi opened up a new situation.
The sports couple was in contact with each other throughout the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, communication was mostly messaging. Especially between the semi-final and the final on Sunday, there was plenty of time for this. Aituri returned to the hotel after the semi-final.
– We are usually at the mercy of the internet of the race venues. Now there was a small radio silence when Reetta went to the hall, Palmi reveals.
After the victory, Palmi immediately sent his congratulations to the champion. The quick call couple had time to call after the award ceremony.
– These were the main competitions of the reign, and there would not have been more to take from this reign. It was a really great and happy moment, Palmi recounted Sunday evening.
Palmi, the European champion who returned home from Turkey on Monday night, had one more question. Hurske was able to answer this in an interview with Urheilu at the airport.
You can ask the master from Tampere, wings or black sausage?
– Well, how would I answer that… Let’s answer with wings, Hurske laughed in response.
Award for years of work
Hurske improved his 60-meter hurdles record by no less than 14 hundredths this season. The profit condition has also been extremely steady throughout the winter.
– There have been individual weaker days in training, but successfully the best mood has been precisely on race days, Palmi said about the successful winter.
Hurskeen and his coach Marjukka Suihkon the cooperation has lasted 17 years. According to Palmi, a lot of work has been done for success in recent years. Another active athlete is warmed by how committed Hurske is to training and also focusing on side activities outside of training.
– Now a way to train that works with “Mauka” has finally been found. Reetta has also remained healthy, which is a big help in development, says Palmi.
Read more: Headmaster and model student Hurske – this is the 17-year journey of the recent European champion to become a gold medalist
The couple probably won’t be able to see each other for a while yet. Palmi’s hometown Craiova in Romania is far from difficult transportation connections, and the basketball player does not have time to visit Finland in the middle of the spring season. He says that the next time they will see each other is when the national team player returns to Finland for the summer holidays.
– The regular season is coming to an end, so there’s not much left this season. The most important final games and possible playoffs go by quite a bit, says Palmi.
Hurskee Hakanen promises that Pyrintö will organize some kind of party for the champion in Finland.
– I’m so superstitious that I didn’t think about celebrations in advance. Of course, this needs to be celebrated in some way, and there are already some ideas, Hakanen reveals.