The Finnish three-person team performed excellently at the World Championships in the long track. The European Championships in August are expected to be even better.
Finland’s small racing team of three athletes performed well at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which ended the weekend. The best place was answered Matti Mattssonwho was eighth in his 200m breaststroke on his main trip.
For the bronze medalist nine years ago, the World Cup final place was the second in his career. On his side trip in the 100-meter breaststroke, Mattsson reached the semi-finals. They also reached the semi-finals Mimosa Jallow 50 meters and 100 meters backstroke as well Veera Kivirinta In the 50-meter breaststroke.
Mattsson showed his hard value experience at the World Championships. Before the World Championships, the best of the season in Pori was 2.10.27. During the race, Mattsson improved the season to its best time on September 2, 2004. It was nearly two seconds behind his SE time of 2.07.13, but the fitness curve was bullish.
Sports swimming expert Ville Kallinen gives Matsson a commendable grade. Swimming swimming competitions are usually in late summer. Mattsson spoke at the race that his fitness record had not yet emerged.
– If you look at the time of the Olympics or the World Track, the Games are usually at the end of July or in August.
Matsson was the fourth best European at the World Championships. The long-distance European Championships will be held in Rome in August, with Mattsson aiming for the first European Championship medal in his career. According to Kallinen, the 28-year-old breast swimmer has a chance to be a full hit.
The level of the World Cup final was not in the category of the Tokyo Olympic final.
– When the world record man (Zac Stubblety-Cookia) is not on the line, I think Mattsson will swim in the European Championships. Although the Dutch Arno Kamminga was silver ahead of Mati in the Olympics, however, she is not so superior in her record compared to Mati. All Europeans are currently winning if Mat has a day in place.
Jallow and Kivirinta in tune
Jallow advanced to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in his side event in the 100m backstroke. It was really close already a year ago at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kivirinta, on the other hand, swam a record of 30.66 in the 50-meter breaststroke.
– If you think about the main trip, it was a performance worth ten for Veer. He improved his best-ever ranking at the World Cup and set a record.
– Mimosa reached the semi-finals level for the first time on an Olympic trip (100-meter backstroke) in the long-distance World Championships or Olympics. It is a clear level increase for him, Kallinen adds.
The Finnish team may have almost ten swimmers at the European Long Track Championships in August. Olympic visitor Fanny Teijonsaloa not seen at the World Cup like the European Championships. He had to leave due to pneumonia throughout the season.
Where do the Finnish tops come from?
Finnish swimming has come a long way in recent years, as shown by Mattsson’s last year’s Olympic bronze and two long-track European Championship medals. According to Kallinen, the positive trend is still visible.
– Mimosa and Matti did not swim in the European Championships. Veeranka would not have had to set a record to reach the semifinals either. This same is even more evident in the European Championships, where there is usually not such a good level.
– At the moment, we really have a lot of valuable athletes whose level is sufficient for routine performance until the semi-finals or even the finals.
Although Finnish swimming is doing well as a whole at the moment, Kallinen also reminds of the big challenge of the swimming community.
– I hope that the coaching leadership of the Swimming Association, the coaching leadership of the youth, and the personal coaches and athletes will keep the standard high at all times. While the last two years have gone great, the reality is that Ari-Pekka Liukkonen is well over the thirties athlete. Matti is about 30 years old. Mimosa is approaching thirty. Veerak is no longer in his twenties either.
– Ida Hulkon (23) After many swimmers are 30 years old known. Coaches need to think about how young athletes will take that level up. There are a lot of promising young people like that About Kalle Mäkki, Ronnie Brandy and Lunch at Kasviota. Over the next couple of years, the vital role will be to get them to the next level.
The emergence of young superstars
Canadian only 15 years old Summer McIntosh came to the consciousness of the swimming world now at the latest. He won two gold and as many as four medals. Among other things, Australia won the World Championship gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle Mollie O`Callaghan.
– I think these were races for certain young people. Popovici is one of the biggest topics of conversation. It is likely that he will challenge world records set in rubber suits. McIntosh had a huge entrance.
Kallinen also raises two World Championship gold medals in front of his home crowd in the butterfly race and a new 200-meter butterfly in the ME Kristof Milakin as well as Sweden Sarah Sjöström. Sjöström, a 28-year-old who has won everything in his career many times, reached two golds and one bronze medal in these competitions.
He has been a medalist since 2008.
– The fact that Milak, 22, dominates at that age at that level is a really tough thing. I want to pick up the most experienced card Katie Ledeckyn. He won his fifth World Championship gold in the tube at 800 meters. Sjöström has been at the top of the world for 15 years. It is a hugely hard thing that a Nordic swimmer can dominate at that level.