Joni Savastee, who won a place in the Olympic mountain biking competition, may accumulate up to a thousand training hours.
Joni Savaste was one of the last Finnish athletes to get a place at the Paris Summer Olympics starting next week. A 20-year-old athlete competes in mountain biking.
The sport is not the most well-known part of Finnish elite sports.
– One and a half hours of suffering, Savaste sums up the mood of the sport in Paris.
It’s endurance sports shock. There are many ups and downs. The average heart rate during the hour and a half is really high.
– It is above the anaerobic threshold. Uphill is the maximum heart rate. You can recover a bit on the downhill. Depends on the track. Heart rate goes up and down.
There are a lot of climbs on the route to the Paris Olympics. The terrain in question should suit Savastee.
– The track is completely built. It’s easier with a bit, but also with a decent rock. There are jumps and turns. It must be a neat track.
Savaste will be able to test the track from the end of the week.
– I like varied, technical and challenging terrain. A bit uphill there is a slightly easier and wider route. Then all you have to do is pedal.
Risk of injury
Savaste’s Endurance training is very versatile. There is running and road cycling. In winter, he also goes skiing a bit.
At best, there will be a thousand training sessions per year. That’s a lot.
– It is nice. I like to train myself. Long runs are my favorite, says Savaste.
The species is wild looking. The risk of injury is high.
Savaste himself has survived this far with few bumps.
– Last year was my first injury in cycling, when I broke my collarbone. Little by little I have survived. Yes, there are certain risks. You have to know your own limits. If the weather is bad and it’s raining, it takes a lot of driving skills.
Blue gold
In Paris, the Savaste race is at the beginning of the Games, on July 29. He gets a fiery racing bike from the United States for Paris.
This special bike has a great visual element.
– It will be painted blue-gold. It was originally thought to be blue and white, but then it became blue and gold. It’s a cool color. Yes, there must be a special bike at the Olympics.