Swimming was a popular sport for Finland at the previous Summer Olympics, when the 200-meter breaststroker Matti Mattsson grabbed one of Finland’s two Olympic medals. Finnish swimming’s prospects for the Paris Olympics suddenly seem very non-existent.
No athlete has broken the highest result limit of the games. However, there is a fascinating story bubbling in the background, which could lead to the wildest Finnish sensation of the Summer Olympics.
Such a potential athlete is a 19-year-old living and studying in the United States Tomas Koski. This summer, he was only 81 hundredths behind his older brother Matias Kosken 1.46.98 from SE of the 200m freestyle.
Competing in Georgia’s high-level university team, Tomas had a great time at the Georgia Invite university competition in November. He won the 200-yard freestyle race with a time of 1:32.75.
Urheilu’s swimming expert Ville Kallinen estimates that the time in question corresponds to a time like 1.46.0–1.46.2 on a long 50-meter track (Olympic pool). In that time, the Finnish record and the A limit of the Olympics would be broken.
Instead of Mattsson, Finland’s number one swimmer may very well be Tomas Koski, born in Paris in 2004.
– If the rate of development continues at anything like this, there could be quite a sensation in Paris, says Kallinen.
To the Olympic final?
If Koski swims the long course with Kallinen’s ride, then we are talking about international top speed.
In the Olympic Games or long-track World Championships organized in the years 2016–2023, the highest quote of 1.45.71 and the lowest 1.46.28 were enough for the final competition.
The highly developed Koski is therefore very close to the level where you swim for an Olympic final place. Two years ago in Tokyo, Brazil was the last to advance to the finals Fernando Scheffer eventually won Olympic bronze.
Antti Kasvio won Olympic bronze in the 200-meter freestyle in 1992 in Barcelona. In the 21st century, Finnish swimmers have made it to the Olympic final Jani Sievinen (2000), Hanna-Maria Seppälä (2008) and Mattsson (2021).
– Of course he (Tomas) would have to perform in the heats under pressure. First you have to make it to the semi-finals. At the moment, however, it is completely realistic that you won’t swim in Paris just for a place in the semifinals, Kallinen estimates.
The development surprised the athlete
For Koski, the fall in the United States has gone perfectly both in terms of training and studies. The amount of training has increased a lot.
The athlete is proud of the level at which he is already moving. He wants to swim competitively as long as possible.
– It’s hard to put into words. I never would have guessed that I would reach this level so quickly. I’m really proud of that, says Koski.
Regarding the difficulty of swimming in the US University Games, the fact that he would take that time without any hesitation emphasizes it.
– When you can rest, it’s hard to get away from times in the main races. I don’t even dare to predict what the summer will be like, if everything goes well, says Kallinen.
Finnish Swimming Association’s top swimming coach Eetu Karvonen has been in contact with Finnish talent competing in the United States.
– We have talked about which games I could try for the A limit of the Olympics. However, finding it has been challenging so far, since the games have been held in the United States all along. In the spring, we will see which European Games I would qualify for, Koski says.
An unknown talent
Tomas Koski is a surprisingly unknown name in Finnish elite sports considering his potential. His older brother Matias Koski, who is ten years older, is remembered as a swimmer who broke the SE times of the famous Antti Kasvio.
Matias, who excelled at the US University Games, competed at the Olympic level twice. Little brother Tomas did enjoy swimming when he was younger, but he eventually chose basketball as his sport.
In basketball, Koski was a talent who could have played in the US university world from Division One schools. However, the legs could not stand the sport. He returned to swimming a little over a year ago.
– There were problems with knees and hips. It just didn’t work, Koski refers to basketball.
Kallinen says that Kosk has an exceptionally soft grip on the water for a big swimmer. He compares the Finnish talent to his peers and the ME man in the 100m freestyle to David Popovic.
The fierce Romanian talent is third on the 200-meter freestyle all-time list. He is separated by 97 percent German by Paul Biedermann in the so-called rubber suit era, swimming from ME 1.42.00.
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– When you look at David Popovic’s 200-meter freestyle ME, you can see in the swim how Popovic seems to glide over the surface of the water. It looks like a speedboat.
– Tomaks has the same elements in his swimming. He knows how to keep his hips under control and has a very good grip for swimming. However, softness and lightness is its own skill, and Tomas knows it very well.
Kallinen, who himself swam competitively, has seen numerous Finnish swimmers over the years. He has a strong opinion about Tomas Koski.
– I haven’t seen a Finn with such a light Tatsi in the water Jani SievinenKallinen refers to Finland’s most successful swimmer of all time.
2. Jani Sievinen200 m individual medley (1996)
3. Arvo Aaltonen200 m breaststroke (1920)
3. Aaltonen, 400 m breaststroke (1920)
3. Antti Kasvio200 m freestyle (1992)
3. Matti Mattsson200 m breaststroke (2021)
4. Eila Pyrhönen100 m butterfly (1964)
4. Sievinen, 200 m medley (1992)
4. Hanna-Maria Seppälä100 m freestyle (2008)
5. Men’s 4 x 200 m freestyle relay, (1960)
8. Sievinen, 200 m medley (2000)