Pihla Kaivo-oja returned to Finland from the successful Olympic qualifying tournament in Bangkok on Monday. He received a warm welcome at the airport.
Kamilla Rajander,
Jussi Saarinen
After securing the Olympic boxing spot for Finland in Thailand over the weekend Pihla Kaivo-oja arrived in Finland on Monday afternoon, he immediately received numerous hugs from his loved ones and a lap full of flowers at Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
– Wonderful feelings. It’s always nice to see how many people stand behind me and support me, Kaivo-oja commented on the reception he recently received.
Just over a day had passed since the Olympic place was secured. About 12 hours had passed since then on the journey home from the other side of the world. Therefore, the young athlete has not yet had time to think about what kind of achievement he achieved in the qualifying tournament.
– Yesterday evening was spent packing stuff, and now the long Travel is behind us. But I do believe that it will gradually materialize, the athlete thought.
Competing in the Olympic ring is naturally a big deal and a dream come true for a young athlete. He said that he reached his own bubble in the qualifying tournament, where no external factors bothered him. At no point did he doubt himself.
– This is how it was supposed to go, the boxer said with a smile.
Keeping your energy and self-confidence is the most important thing
When Kaivo-oja is asked what kind of goals he is going to Paris with, the answer comes without much thought.
– I’m going to win. You don’t go there to gloat, says the boxer.
– Everything is possible when you get the best out of yourself.
The five ring races start in Paris at the end of July. Kaivo-oja plans to rest for a couple of days, but then the rigorous preparation for the Olympic ring will begin. In his opinion, the most important thing in preparation is maintaining a good mood and self-confidence.
– Yes, that coach Maaret knows what we are still going to work on for the Games, Kaivo-oja said, referring to his coach Maarit to Teuros.
Teurose, who was also chosen as the best female boxing coach in Europe, has experience in coaching for Olympic success, as her former protégé Mira Potkonen boxed for Olympic bronze both in Rio de Janeiro in the summer of 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021.
Potkonen has also been an important person for Kaivo-oja along the way.
– If he hasn’t been able to watch the games there, there will always be a congratulatory message and such important and meaningful phrases from there. They have helped me in my career and helped me to believe in this work.
Kaivo-oja remembers how an Olympic medalist once asked him to think about what kind of athlete is standing on the podium. Kaivo-oja considers it the most important instruction he received from him.
– Since then, every now and then I’ve thought about what kind of athlete is standing there and what needs to be done to be that kind of athlete.