Swimmer Ida Hulkko On Friday, he published a Kipaka bulletin because he was left without a sports grant.
First of all, Hulkko criticizes communication. List of the recipients of the Ministry of Education and Culture for 2025 was published on the ministry website Friday 17 January. According to Hulko, decisions were not made until Monday.
– Personally, I learned about it on Friday when I went to practice when a teammate asked why my name was not on the list.
Last season, Hulkko was the sixth of the 100m Breastfeeding Championships in the Olympic trip and the 26th of the Olympics.
In the long track World Championships, he was the fifth of the 50m breaststroke and sixth in the European Championship. The 50 -meter breaststroke is not an Olympic trip.
However, Hulkko could predict that he would not receive a grant.
– On my own metrics, 2024 was not a success. After the Olympics, I also knew in an interview with the tabloid that I would not receive a grant when I had criticized the Olympic Committee.
Hulkko sees criteria as unfair
Other Olympic European Championship Finalists received a grant. Hulkko writes, however, that he had been answered that in swimming, the European Championships are not counted in the criteria but as a “additional screen”.
In swimming value races, the long track World Championships and European Championships alternate, although exceptionally both were swimming last year.
Hulkko sees the argument he has received means that swimmers can only give evidence during the Olympic trips every other year.
-If support for high-profile sports is not even awarded to the European Finals in a sport that is one of the most competitive on a global scale, how anyone is expected to even try to become a top athlete.
Hulkko wants to make a request for rectification because he thinks the criteria are currently unfair in swimming.
– racing sister Veera Kivirinta Has been a value race faster for several years in the 50m breaststroke and competed at the global top without a scholarship. Young Laura Lahtinen I missed a $ 10,000 grant, although last year was in the Olympic tour in the European Championship final and won two World Cup races on the short track.
Hulkko wrote that he wanted an open discussion and a statement on the scholarship criteria for swimming from OKM, the Olympic Committee, as well as from the Swimming Association.
The basics of the Olympic Committee
Officially coaching and training grants are granted by the Minister of Sport, Sports and Youth Sandra Bergqvist. Presentations of grant recipients are made by the Finnish Olympic Committee’s top sports unit.
Jaana to come has led the Olympic Committee’s top sports unit Acting. as a leader since Matti Heikkinen was moved aside.
Hulkko has been in contact with the Olympic Committee’s top sports manager.
– It is true. It’s been in contact, and that’s fine, Tuuli says.
So where did the Olympic Committee persuaded that Hulkko couldn’t get a scholarship?
-First of all, he is unfortunately a $ 6,000 grant. The main reason why a $ 10,000 scholarship criterion is not met is that he has not established his level among the top 16 in the world. Unfortunately, he does not have such results on an Olympic trip.
-Of course, we know that he is a World Cup finalist in the 50m breaststroke, but it is not an Olympic sport, and grants only take into account the displays of Olympic trips.
In addition, Hulkko was the sixth of the 100-meter breaststroke last season.
– This year, the weight of the European Championships is slightly lower than normal because they were also the World Cup and Olympic Games. But especially this global consolidation of this place among the 16, to which the criterion is bound, is not realized.
Hulkko also highlighted the view that grant displays could only be given every other year if the European Championships were ignored.
-Of course, the European Championships can be taken into account, but unfortunately nothing else has happened (in Hulko’s performance) for more than two years, and that is the most important point. At this point, the EM success must be taken into account in relation to the global level.
Border cases are always enough
When it comes to the fact that Veera Kivirinta has been missed several times without a scholarship and Laura Lahtinen received only € 6,000, come to point out about the challenge of a long and short track.
– It is known that in the Olympics, long track displays are more significant. This is really unfortunate and challenging in swimming.
– From the athletes’ point of view, I do encourage you to complain about if you experience injustice. This is where this is certainly dealt with in the ministry and in us, and the process can be done well for the athlete. At the same time, it is one way to think about criteria and their development.
Therefore, it also encourages the hustle and bustle to make a request for rectification.
– We need to look at this grant development. Criteria vary greatly in the sport, and decisions for some athletes are really tough.
Has this time a criticism of decisions other than swimming?
– Not many. A few, just such a tight borderline. We are developing here, we have a very good cooperation with the ministry. Already during the preparation work, we are trying to look at the criterion through the exact lens in several meetings.
– There are always unfortunate, challenging borderline cases in the statement. I think there have been very few of them this year.
Other borderline cases do not want to open, as athletes have been confidential to the Olympic Committee. So far, only Hulkko has made it public this time.