Sweden has fallen behind Finland and Norway at the European Youth Championships in Espoo.
From the Nordic countries, Finland and Norway have excelled at the European Youth Championships in Espoo. Before the evening competitions on the final day, the home team had won two golds and a total of eight medals.
The Norwegians, on the other hand, have received six medals, three of which are gold. The 400-meter runner has celebrated the championship of Vuonoama’s athletes Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen400 meter breaststroke Andrea Rooth and a long jumper Henrik Flåtnes.
Norway and Finland have been overshadowed by Sweden, which at the time of writing had won four medals, but not a single championship.
– These competitions have not gone as well as we had hoped. Finland has been great in their home games. It’s amazing, says Sweden, who won bronze in the 400-meter hurdles Oskar Edlund.
Edlund was disappointed with his own ranking. He went for the championship.
– It feels like I didn’t win the bronze, because I lost the gold. The championship was definitely my goal. When I woke up, I thought that there are opportunities today. However, a medal is a medal.
– This has been a tough season so far. I’m training in the USA and it feels like the season lasted until January. I want to be in good shape at the Paris Olympics, says Edlund, who is already looking ahead to next year.
Finland’s turn in the international match?
Although the level of Finnish athletics has expanded significantly in recent years, Sweden has beaten Finland in the traditional international event.
In the men’s category, Finland has managed to celebrate a national team victory only once in the last ten years. It has been eight years since the women’s victory.
Edlund believes that Finland is close to victory in the national match held in Sweden at the end of the summer.
– This year will be the most difficult for us, Eklund sees.
However, Finland’s superiority in these Espoo Games does not annoy the Swede.
– We are like sisters. We have a love-hate relationship. It’s great to compete against the Finns, but of course I want to beat them.
Born in 2002, Edlund has long known the talent of his Finnish peers.
In the Under-20 World Championships two years ago, Finland was second in the medal table with four golds and five medals. Be that as it may, the games lacked a few hard countries.
Sweden got one less gold at that time and was eighth in the table.
in the games held in Nairobi Saga Vanninen was about to win his first junior world championship.
– Then there was Saga Vanninen and Heidi Salminen in 400 meter fences. Salminen didn’t make it to the finals in these games, but I believe he will come back stronger, says Edlund.
– You are developing really strong talents. I don’t know how you do it. We try to learn and do the same.