Määttänen, who is in good shape, ran close to the Finnish record of 800 meters in his first race of the summer.
Runner Eveliina Määttänen has received an invitation to the Diamond League competitions organized at the turn of May-June in Oslo and Stockholm. The race will be held in Oslo on 30.5. and in Stockholm on June 2.
Once upon a time, the highest level of athletics was mostly competed by Finnish javelin throwers, but last year several Finnish runners have been seen at the starting line, such as Viivi Lehikoinen, Reetta Hurske, Top Raitanen, Elmo Lakka and Sara Lappalainen.
Now Eveliina Määttänen, who ran in 2022 in Stockholm’s Diamond League’s B division, also joins the group. Now the manager Alfonso Juck was able to arrange a place for Oslo’s 800 meter A race at the legendary Bislett stadium.
– You probably need to be attentive at the beginning of the race to find a suitable spot to run. I really hope that we will keep up the pace and break records, predicts Määttänen.
Määttänen needs to hurry, because before Oslo and Stockholm, he will still run today, Friday, in an international race in Slovakia.
Finland’s record is really close
Määttänen, who only focused on the 800 meters for a few years, came to his opening race of the summer season in Chorzow, Poland, straight from the mountain camp in France. He immediately ran his record 1:59.74.
The conditions of the run were optimal and the runners started briskly, but the hare runner slowed down at 350-500 meters. The first lap should have been at least a second faster.
The strong Määttänen pushed past the hare after 500 meters. In the final straight, however, he had to give in to the Kenyan Vivian Chebet for Kiprotichwho won the race.
Keravalainen missed the Finnish record by only 33 hundredths of a second.
– It didn’t really hurt, but I know that the condition is tough and the Finnish record is possible, reflects Määttänen.
The SE result of 800 meters is 1.59.41, which Sara Lappalainen ran in 2021.
Five months in the mountains
Määttänen has spent long training sessions at mountain camps this season. Adapting to the mountain conditions has seemed easier every time.
– Feeling quite suddenly felt normal. Heart rates should be monitored and they were in the same range as at sea level.
Määttänen trained in the mountains for a total of five months. Of those, two months were higher in the mountains of France and three months were a little lower in South Africa.
Määttänen says that he is satisfied and that the desired training effects have been obtained from the camps. The speed characteristics have also improved, although the focus has been on improving durability.
Camps abroad are not always just a party. At the spring camp in Fort Romeau, France, the conditions were challenging.
– After all, there was no need to sleep in sweatpants, but when we arrived, the rooms were really cool. The rooms were then heated with wall radiators.
Mountain conditions showed their harsher side. There was only one shorts day at the camp. The temperatures were between 6 and 10 degrees and it also rained a lot.
– What surprised me the most was how much sleet rain got on my neck. Yes, you could wear it properly during training, Määttänen’s time.
Määttänen chose her husband as her coach Jan Petrac with to do harder lactic acid workouts at sea level. They drove down to Manresa in Spain and Pertina on the French side to train.
Aiming for the final in Rome
Määttänen, who does some remote work at the camps via the Internet, was in a bit of trouble in France because the connections did not work at the lodge. Had to go to nearby cafes for remote work.
Despite the cool and rainy days in the mountains, it may be that Määttänen will hold one more mountain camp in Switzerland after the European Championships in June.
Määttänen says that he stayed healthy during the training season and describes it as a “little lottery win”. He leaves for Rome with a calm and confident mind
– You have to remember that there are three consecutive competition days, starting with the preliminaries. Every start is a tight spot and you have to succeed one step at a time in each one. The dream race would be the final and medal fight.
The European Athletics Championships in Rome can be seen on channels 7-12. June.