Ida Hulkko, 23, would have left the money in the swimming league without the Russian invasion of Ukraine – “It was quite physically and mentally broken”

80 race starts: Four championships and the International Swimming League ISL.

Ida Hulkon last year was really busy. The brightest results from the 50-meter breaststroke were the European Championship silver from the long track and the 12th place in the Tokyo Olympics from the 100-meter breaststroke. In world statistics, the Tampere swimmer was 4th in the long distance and 15th in the 100 meters.

There are still cancellations from the difficult last season.

23-year-old Hulkko walks in the Mäkelänrinne swimming center with his wrist rest in his hand before this year’s first race.

– There was a little pain in my wrist last fall. In recent weeks, there has been more pain. You can’t really open a milk jar, Hulkko describes.

The wrist has been photographed. Results are now awaited. Hulkko believes this is not anything serious. When swimming, the hand works well. There is no pain in the wrist at this time and no fractures have been found in the hand. Hulkko suspects that it may be an inflammation of some sort.

– It’s surprisingly easy for me to go with this. Let’s see what the descriptions become. At least during the race, there is so much adrenaline that the pain is not noticed. There will be a break in the morning and outside the pool. However, this is not something that will revolutionize the world.

– After the Tokyo Olympics, it was quite difficult to start a new season. Kerkes takes about a week off. People in the working world know that the batteries are not terribly charged in a week after many years of compression, Hulkko describes.

There were another forty race starts after the Olympics.

– Autumn started off with little energy. Then I got to travel and race almost every weekend while competing in the ISL. There was nothing left after Abu Dhabi. I tried to get back and rest for three weeks, but it has been hard to leave this season. It was pretty mentally and physically broken.

The crowd has gotten into everyday life a little quietly. There have been interesting moments in international swimming since the beginning of the year. Last week, the International Swimming League (ISL) announced that the league would not be competing this year. The background was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The swimming league has been almost entirely funded by a Russian-billionaire in Russia Konstantin Grigorishin. He is also the founder of the ISL League.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the money cocks of Grigorishin, who had earned the energy industry in Ukraine, caught on.

ISL itself said in a statement that the reason for the cancellation is that many ISL employees are stuck in Ukraine.

Hulkko had already decided earlier to skip the ISL this year.

– Last autumn there was so much competition that the competition didn’t really feel like anything. Couldn’t load himself, take off or enjoy the race. It became such a routine. I want the race pool to be pulled full and able to measure the result out. It didn’t come to be made last fall.

How does Hulkko now experience the financial situation when he decided to skip the ISL?

– Of course it works, but there are pretty good prize money for the finalists at the World Championships as well. The value finals are now the first goal. Has also been able to build its own commercial side to the extent that it is not dependent on prize money. I have been able to build a supportive team around me. I can make sensible decisions about health and especially mental health, Hulkko says.

– Last year’s salaries have not yet been credited to the account. However, the agreements have been signed. You just have to restrain it, Hulkko says.

According to the Finnish swimmer, in the current world situation, wage arrears are not the first thing on my mind.

– Last year was the same thing. Salaries came late, but I always got all my money, Hulkko says.

There was also a domestic twist in swimming at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of February, the International Swimming Federation FINA moved the World Championships to the ISL. The new date in Budapest is from mid-June to early July. The new ISL season was due to begin in June.

Initially, the World Championships were to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, in May, but Japan’s turn was postponed to next year due to the country’s corona situation.

– Although ISL is a really great format, it should not compete with the International Federation of Sports. It does not advance the interests of swimmers, nor does it advance the species. It’s a little annoying not to be able to come to an agreement and not be able to take swimming together on a broad front. That’s why I also wanted to side with the value competitions and raise that side, Hulkko says.

Hulkko does not rule out the possibility that the International Swimming League will have a future as long as the world situation improves. He also has an interesting point of view on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the sense that Hulkko has spoken openly about his thinking about making a career in the Defense Forces after a swimming career. His father has served as Commander of the Army until the turn of the year Petri Hulkko.

– It has been great to see that the defense has increased in Finland. Patriotism has emerged. It’s been great to note, Hulkko says.

Now, however, Hulko has a full focus on top sports and success in it. He has set the next big goal in a couple of years for the Paris Olympics. There, the main goal is a 100-meter breaststroke. The 50-meter breaststroke is not an Olympic trip. 50 meters is clearly left second in Tampere’s world of thought.

At the same time, there has also been talk of a number of championships in swimming. Last year, there were as many as four championships in swimming: the long-distance European Championships, the Olympics and the short-distance European Championships and World Championships.

This year there are three value competitions: the long track European Championships and the World Championships and the short track World Championships. The organizer of the latest of these is open, however, because the competitions had to be in Kazan, Russia.

Are there too many competitions in swimming?

– I like the pace where every other year is the World Cup and every other year the European Championships. Now it feels like having to build two small seasons in one season. Not really knowing where to measure the main results, Hulkko describes and reminds that the situation has certainly been affected by the transmissions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Finnish swimmer is also pleased that we have been able to compete properly in the wake of the pandemic. On Tuesday in the international invitational competition in Helsinki, Hulkko swam to victory in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1.08.09. It was still well behind the Finnish record of 1.06.19 in Tokyo.

However, Hulkko is not yet coveting his record times. The goals for the summer championships for the World Championships and European Championships are clear.

– At the World Championships, people will start applying for a final place. It missed a short track unfortunate last year. The main weight is one hundred meters. At fifty meters, it is self-evident to me that the final place must be obtained and my level is in the medal battle, Hulkko states.

Ida Hulkko and other top Finnish swimmers are participating in the international Helsinki Swim Meet competition in Helsinki. On Wednesday, Hulkko will compete in the 50-meter breaststroke.