Finland participates in the beach volleyball tournament of the EC week in Munich with three pairs. On the women’s side, the preparation for the value tournament has differed from previous seasons.
STT Sports,
Jelena Leppänen,
Mika Halonen
Beach volleyball player Taru Lahti-Liukkonen29, is a ranking veteran, but he is in a new situation at the EC competitions starting on Monday in Munich.
There is a soon-to-be one and a half year old daughter Fencewho keeps Lahti-Liukkonen, her husband’s coach, busy Kai Liukkonen and the traveling godmother as a nanny Kirsi Liukkonen. Sometimes you need helping hands, even a playing pair From Anniina Parkkin.
The busy teenager keeps the quartet alert, but Lahti-Liukkonen praises the child’s gifts of sleep. Taru, Kai and Aida stay in the family room.
What if the child sleeps badly when the mother should be preparing for an important practice or game?
– “Ansu” has promised to take me under his arm, Lahti-Liukkonen laughed and winked in Parkkinen’s direction.
The spirit of the good-natured Finnish crowd is high. From the beginning of the week, the joint play must be just as smooth. Another Finnish couple in the women’s series Vilhelmina Prihti and Niina Ahtiainen start on Monday, Lahti-Liukkonen and Parkkinen on Tuesday.
– The starting points are a bit different than in previous seasons anyway. We’ve been playing with three players, so we haven’t been able to hone the game with these pairs in quite the same way as before. The starting points are exciting, how do we make our game and communication work, Lahti-Liukkonen opened.
Parkkinen, 26, nods next to him.
– We have only played one tournament together.
In the video, which is the main image of the story, you can see how the two described their game together to Urheilu. You can watch the entire Urheilu interview in the video below.
The steam of hormones clouded me
Lahti-Liukkonen and Parkkinen have known each other for almost a decade. It is helpful in preparing for a fast-paced tournament.
– Yes, experience helps, because we have a common history and there are value competitions below. We don’t have the excitement of beginners, Lahti-Liukkonen said.
The value competition condition of both has been behind hard work. Parkkinen’s disc was cut last year. It took time for Lahti-Liukkonen to recover from giving birth to peak condition.
– Last summer, in the hormonal vapor, I felt that I was in good shape. But now when you think about last summer and autumn, there was still enough to whine about. In the beginning, you had to take it easy in terms of deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor training. Nine months after giving birth, I was able to start doing developmental training.
Several mothers tour international beach volleyball courts. Even in Munich, there were children playing in the sand on the field near the Finnish training ground.
– In this sports culture, it’s no wonder if you come back after giving birth. Aida has been involved in camps in the winter, but this is the first game trip where she is involved. Budget issues and treatment are big questions, Lahti-Liukkonen reminded.
Ball and game at a time
In June’s World Championships, Lahti-Liukkonen and Ahtiainen finished 17th and in July they finished ninth in the first category of the world tour.
Even with Parkin, the goals are high.
– We know that at our best we can challenge and beat anyone. The goal is to play one’s own strong game throughout the tournament ball and game at a time, Parkkinen tuumi, a recent Master of Economics.
France, Latvia and Denmark play in the same starting group.
– The Latvian pair was fourth at the last Olympics, Parkkinen said.
– They are European champions from a couple of years ago, Lahti-Liukkonen added.
– At least you have to get through the group. We’re talking about the top ten, the two of you added.
The head coach sees beach volleyball as a possible savior of volleyball
Head coach of the Finnish beach volleyball national team Toni Vahela has not set exact performance goals for Finnish couples competing in EC competitions.
– Taru and “Ansu” can beat any pair, Vahela mentioned.
– In practice, success depends on how many hard games you can win in a row. In the playoff rounds, every game is tough and you have to be able to play at your own top level. There isn’t a team here that we can’t beat.
Niina Ahtiainen, 25, and Vilhelmiina Prihtin, 21, and the men’s series Jyrki Nurminen31, and Santeri Siren26, the goals are more moderate.
– We want to learn to think that we are going to win every game. The reality is that these are “Vilku’s” first EC competitions. We will be happy if we take wins and get to the playoffs. We want to raise a new defender of international level, Vahela said.
Men are also looking for experience. It is only the third time that Finland has a men’s pair in the EC competitions. In women, the tip has been wider. Finland has at least two women’s pairs at the European Championships for the tenth year in a row.
Vahela admits that the top sports of Finnish beach volleyball is still relatively narrow, but the number of competition licenses increased from around 800 two years ago to around 1,200 in 2021.
– For many years, I have seen beach volleyball as a potential savior of volleyball. This is a really low-threshold sport that can be played from very different starting points. The sport clearly attracts more young people than volleyball, both in terms of spectators and players. I feel that there is mass and potential.
– The sharpest top sports tip is now relatively narrow, but we have expanded the training center operations. I believe that there is a future from the point of view of elite sports.