Lotta Harala ran in Leppävaara, Espoo, with a time of 12.64. In the European Championships, it would lose a medal.
16:01•Updated 16:31
A sprinter Lotta Harala ran an unimaginably hard time in the 100 meter hurdles in Espoo’s Leppävaara.
Harala’s time was 12.64, but the tailwind was +2.2 m/s, i.e. 0.2 meters per second too much for a statistically valid time.
Director of coaching and training of the Finnish Sports Association Jarkko Finni toldthat Harala’s pinkaisu is the most Finnish time ever run in women’s speed hurdles.
However, due to the wind blowing 0.2 seconds too hard, it will not be SE time. The Finnish record for 100-meter hurdles is Reetta Hurskeen 12.70 run in Jyväskylä last summer.
Lotta Harala’s record is 12.85, run in France last summer.
The 100-meter hurdles will be run in Espoo again today at 16:53.
Harala’s time is also fierce internationally, at least in European terms. At the 2022 European Championships in Munich, a time of 12.64 would have been enough for silver. He ran to victory in the games Pia Skrzyszowska with a time of 12.53, but took the silver Luca Kozak at 12.69.
It would have won gold at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin. He won in Berlin Elvira Herman with a time of 12.67.
Healthy shin – immediately shook
What makes Harala’s tough time even more special is the background of the Tampere Pyrinnön runner.
Even at the end of the 2010s, Harala didn’t even run under 13 seconds. In 2020, Harala ran a record of 13.07.
Already at that time, Harala was competing badly in semi-fit.
– In 2019, I had back surgery and it took a year and a half to rehabilitate. Then I was healthy for half a year, after which I had a tibia stress fracture, Harala said in February.
– It has been rehabilitated for 3.5 years now. It underwent surgery in 2021. If the back and lower leg are taken together, it has been quite a long rehabilitation period.
In 2021 and 2022, Harala did not compete at all. Still, the 32-year-old Harala has been able to improve, even though he has been fighting with his shin injury.
At the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku on June 13, 2023, Harala broke under 13 seconds for the first time. The record 12.85 came in France at the beginning of July.
– Since the competition season is a big burden on the lower leg, we have had to discuss with the doctor and physiotherapist how to proceed. However, we have found ways to train with my leg, Harala said last July.
Harala made it to the World Championships in Budapest last summer, but missed the heats with a time of 13.11.
In February of this year, Harala finally got the news he was waiting for from the doctor: the tibia has finally ossified properly.
In April, Harala beamed on Instagram that his shin is healthy.
– That was it! The leg is healthy! In 2020, I went to the pictures for the first time because of this shin injury. Desperate, multi-stage but unyielding years later, now that same leg is completely healthy, Harala rejoiced and thanked experts, relatives and other supporters.
– For years I dreamed of getting one more chance to play sports while healthy. I got it.