According to Samuli Samuelsson, it is a “romantic idea” that he would have both the 100-meter and 200-meter Finnish records.
Men’s 100m SE Man Samuli Samuelsson the main distance will be 200 meters in the future. The 29-year-old Finn will continue to compete in the 100 meters, but the harder effort is on a longer distance.
The career ends after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
– It’s been four years now. 2028 will be the last year of my career. The idea was to return to the roots, to 200 meters, Samuelsson tells Urheilu.
29-year-old Samuelsson aimed for a hundred for a long time. He broke Tommi Hartonen of the more than 20-year-old SE 10.21 in the summer of 2022 in Porvoo. At that time, Samuelsson clocked 10.16.
A year later in Kuortane, he improved his SE time by another four hundredths.
At the club level, the sprinter representing Ikaalisten Urheiliiä was also known as a good 200-meter runner when he was younger. His current record is 20.73 from the 2017 Seinäjoki Kaleva Games.
The years 2018–2019 went wrong because of Achilles tendon problems.
– I used to train for 200 meters. 100 meters went by anyway. The Finnish record was so close that I wanted to chase it.
– Now I feel like it would be nice to return to the 200 meters, break my own records and get to the prestigious competitions that way, Samuelsson plans.
The summer ended on the operating table
The years 2022 and 2023 were the best of Samuelsson’s career so far. He went into last summer with a place in the finals of the European Championships in Rome in mind, but the season turned out to be disappointing.
The best quote of the summer was 10.45 and the season ended already in June due to a heel injury.
The problem required surgery. The rehabilitation has gone well, although the leg is still not in perfect condition.
– Little by little, I’m getting in such shape that I can put spikes on my feet. However, it will still be a while. The hall period will be missed, Samuelsson commented.
“Romantic Thought”
Samuelsson dreams that he will also get the 200m SE under his name. It was also Hartonen’s handiwork for a long time, but in 2022 it went to Samuelsson’s five years younger Samuel Purolan to names.
Purola’s SE is 20.45.
– It would be a romantic idea to have the Finnish records for both trips in my own name, Samuelsson says.
Samuelsson believes that he has more to give in the 200 meters in the future. The current record of 20.73 is far from where he wants his record time to be.
– My potential is clearly stronger than my 200 meter record. Satanen will definitely come along. There won’t be any crazy changes to sports training, but small ones.
Samuelsson has never competed in the Olympics in his career. Los Angeles time, he is 33 years old.
– 9.93 and 20.31 were needed for the Olympic final (in Paris) and 200 meters. That’s a big difference. 100 meters requires more than 200 meters. 200 meters is a bit forgiving in pure speed when the speed endurance feature is included.
– In principle, a slightly slower runner has a chance to make it through speed endurance. We are going to chase European and Olympic places. If we talk about the EC final, let’s go around 20.50.