The Finnish runner improved his positions towards the end and, with his fourth place, grabbed a place in the semi-finals of the World Championships for Tuesday evening.
Athletics World Championships 19.8.–27.8. Ylen channels. See the schedule and broadcast information of the games at this link.
Aturi Viivi Lehikoinen took a place in the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles. He ran fourth in the first heat in 54.65, the fourth fastest of his career. There was 25 hundredths of a way to set the Finnish record in June.
Lehikoinen had to fight until the end, as the top four got the next place and Italy Rebecca Sartori Finnish until the very end. However, Sartori, who ran his record, lost by 17 hundredths.
– I am very satisfied. The set was one of the toughest. The fence rhythms went really well and it was a tough time, Lehikoinen summed up.
He started from the second track, but it didn’t cause any problems. In the middle of the run, however, a little disbelief crept into Lehikoinen’s head.
– The first 200 meters came really easily. I was kind of in the mood for help, I’ve missed a lot. The curve has always been difficult for me, but now it was my best section, he said after getting into the top four.
Last summer, Lehikoinen broke the Finnish record both at the World Championships in Oregon and at the European Championships in Munich.
At the World Championship stadium in Eugen, he scored 54.60 in the semi-final, but did not get a place in the final. The woman was 13th in the final results.
In Munich, Lehikoinen went directly to the semi-finals, where he won his heat with a new SE time of 54.50. In the final, his speed was enough for sixth place (55.58).
Lehikoinen’s valid SE 54.40 was created in June of this year in Huelva. Now Finland’s record is almost guaranteed to be sought if he wants to go from Tuesday night’s semifinals to the final. The final race will be run on Thursday evening.
Sports expert Mikael Ylöstalo described Lehikoinen’s performance in Budapest as clean.
– It has to be said that it looks like there will be really tough heats. The semi-final is a bit like the final for Viivi, Ylöstaso commented.
The number one favorite of the trip Femke Bol now stayed upright until the finish line and clocked the fastest time of the preliminaries, 53.39. of Bahrain Kemi Adekoya set a continental record of 53.56.
There are 24 competitors in the semifinals, so qualifying for the finals is tough.