Lotta Harala and Reetta Hurskee have a lot at stake in the 100-meter hurdles in Rome, writes Urheilu’s Joel Sippola.
Joel Sippola sports reporter
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In the Finnish athletics summer, the same song has been repeated for several years. Some Finnish 100-meter hurdler is doing hard pulls or pulls right from the beginning of the summer.
Let’s speculate on the chances of success. It’s only been a few years since we even got three places in the European Championship finals. However, as the summer progresses and the prestigious competitions arrive, the Finnish speed skaters disappear from the picture.
At the beginning of May, it caused a lot of noise Lotta Haralan In Espoo, a genuine 12.64, but the tailwind was 0.2 meters per second too much. In any case, the 32-year-old athlete’s performance was a tough example of his skills.
From the beginning of the summer, Harala and in recent years other Finnish paddlers have easily created an image as successful candidates for prestigious competitions. Some even think that Harala has some kind of medal seams.
However, the ride on top of Europe is cold. For example, four women have run better than 12.66 in the allowed. Among other things, Switzerland Ditaji Kambundjinof France Cyrena Samba-Mayelanof Poland Pia Skrzyszowskathe Netherlands by Nadine Visser and the basic level of a few others is at a completely different level than that of Finns.
Harala, Reetta Hurske, Nooralotta Neziri and recently finished his career Annimari Korte are well-known names in Finnish elite sports. Reflecting on this fact, it is confusing that none of the four in question has made it to the finals of the European Championships in 100 meters.
However, there have been opportunities in the last ten years. It was very close at the European Championships 2018, when Neziri was only a meager one-thousandth of a place away from the final competition.
Only Finnish women have made it to the 100-meter hurdles EC final Cricket Norrlund, which in 1969 was eighth. There is an eternity of that achievement.
In Rome, Hurske (SB 12.85) and Harala (12.89) are Finnish divers for whom the EC final is possible with a top performance. Especially for Harala, the opportunity is probably the last of his career.
The hurdles boom has brought Finnish athletics visibility and many other good things. However, compared to all the hype, it would be a huge minus if none of Finland’s tough four makes it to the EC final during their career.
Hurskee and Harala have the honor of Finnish women’s hurdles at stake in Rome.