Topi Raitanen qualified for the 3,000-meter steeplechase World Cup final in Budapest. Raitanen and his coach Janne Ukonmaanaho told right after the race why they couldn’t find top form.
Joska Saarinen,
Petra Manner,
Laura Arffman
Athletics World Championships 19.8.–27.8. Ylen channels. See the schedule and broadcast information of the games at this link.
– That’s Top’s Sunday run in normal condition.
Coach Janne Ukonmaanaho tightly Raitanen’s top The World Cup in one sentence. The reigning European champion missed the heats of the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday in Budapest.
Raitanen finished 11th in his heat with a time of 8:30.69.
– A nondescript run. At the end, when you should go, you just can’t find the stamina you need. The musculature wasn’t ready yet, unfortunately, Raitanen summed up his run.
According to the coach Ukonmaanaho, the pace in the first round was such that a normally fit Raitanen would have easily gone from one round to the final.
This summer, Raitanen, 27,’s condition has been far from normal. Raitanen and Ukonmaanaho took a risk that paid off.
This is where it went wrong
In previous years, Raitanen has aimed to be in peak condition for August and the prestigious competitions. Last year, the strategy produced maximum success, when Raitanen celebrated European Championship gold in the 3,000-meter hurdles.
Raitanen’s goal this summer was to run with top results throughout the summer. He and Ukonmaanaho prepared an aggressive competition plan, which according to Raitanen did not work.
– Such is sport and life. Sometimes you have to take risks, but now they materialized in the worst possible way.
Back in the spring, everything looked good. Raitanen immediately ran his new record of 3:38.47 in the 1,500 meters in his opening race of the season.
The times were also good in the first steeplechase races, but Raitanen noticed that unusual fatigue hit the jumper in the last laps of the races.
Raitanen then collapsed at the Paavo Nurmi Games in early June. The time 8:43,46 was anything but what it should have been.
According to Ukonmaanaho, similar collapses had occurred in previous years as well.
– This year we didn’t get to rest normally, but Topi had to compete for it in ten days. It was too much, Ukonmaanaho opened.
The musculature was not ready for obstacles
In the WC general, Raitanen ran 1,500 meters in a time of 3:40.32, which was promising. The condition had turned up again.
However, it is a different thing to run a 1,500-meter smooth race than a 3,000-meter steeplechase.
In obstacles, the rhythm of running is broken every lap, and Raitanen’s muscles were not ready for this.
– When the musculature is not quite as sensitive and recovered, the strain accumulates even more. In a smooth race, you can get further with an economical running style a little easier, Raitanen analysed.
– We thought that the pace would have been better, but in competitions we face the truth.
Raitanen stated that the summer has been difficult. Now he analyzes the World Cup disappointment with his coach Ukonmaanaho and starts building a new plan for next summer and the Paris Olympics.