Leo-Pekka Tähti won the World Championship gold in the T54 category in one hundred meters. Track and field athletes found themselves in an unusual situation when the final planned for the evening was postponed at the last minute.
Leo-Pekka Tähti rolled to a sovereign victory in the 100 meters final of the T54 class at the World Para Athletics Championships.
Tähti crossed the finish line as the overwhelming number one and clocked her season’s best time of 13.78 in the final. Runner-up China Hu Yang lost to Tähke by 0.17 seconds and the third-placed Mexico Juan Pablo Cervantes 0.19 seconds.
The world championship was the fifth of Tähti’s career, and the Finn has already won 33 medals at the prestigious competition level. The previous World Championship gold was five years ago in Dubai.
– Of course it feels good and maybe it has such a symbolic meaning. However, I have been at the top for 20 years and now is the last year at this level. In that sense, at least it’s nice to experience that Maamme song once more, Tähti commented to Urheilu.
Although Tähti has a long career behind him, an unprecedented situation came up at the World Championships in Kobe, Japan. The finalists were sitting in their wheelchairs in the stadium, ready to fight for the world championship, until a minute before moving to the starting line, it became clear that the schedule had changed.
Due to China’s protest, the evening final was moved to the early morning.
– In my long career, there has never been anything similar before. In that sense, it was a very exceptional approach to the final. I have to be satisfied that the head stayed together pretty well.
The Chinese protest did not go through, but the early morning posed its own challenges to the gold hunt.
– Sport at nine in the morning is of course not ideal. At least my body wasn’t as ready as it was yesterday, Tähti stated.
The Finns have an interesting winding summer ahead of them
Another Finn was also seen in the same final, when Tähten coached Esa-Pekka Mattila finished fifth with a time of 14.33. Mattila also accelerated her best time of the season in the final.
Tähti was proud of his protégé’s performance, even though Mattila has performed faster moves in training.
– Great accomplishment. The fifth place in the World Championships is the most deserved in his career, as a continuation of the European Championship bronze a few years ago. He has room for improvement and I believe he will improve during the season.
The main goal of both is the Paralympics in Paris, but Mattila still has to claim a place in the Games. Tähti is looking forward to the coming summer, when there will also be a competition partner from home.
– It’s rare that two T54 class male bowlers are in such good shape. That’s why it’s nice to compete in those Finnish games in the summer as well.
The star’s season continues at the beginning of June in Switzerland, where he will compete twice. Before the Paralympics, Tähti will also compete in Finland, and in addition, she hopes to find one more foreign competition before the main goal of the season.
The star aims to be in the best possible shot at the Paralympics, as last year’s world champion will compete in Paris Athiwat Paeng-Nuean. The Thai did not participate in the World Cup in Japan.
Before the upcoming competitions, the work of the new world champion continues at the World Championships on the side of the stands.
– Today Teijo Köpikkä is on fire and tomorrow we will cheer when Henry Manni competes in the 800m race. Without a doubt, we are encouraging.