Aleksi Ojala’s performance bodes well for the European Championships.
Joel Sippola,
Nina Old house
Having done Roima’s SE improvement in a 35-kilometer walk Aleksi Ojala had emotions on the surface after a great performance. With a Finnish record of 2:28.22, Ojala was 13th in the final results. He improved his walking record in May in Laitila by three minutes.
This is the best ranking of the 29-year-old Finnish career at the competition level. Five years ago in London, he finished in 14th place.
Ojala gave credit to his coach Veli-Matti Rannalle. He has coached Ojala since 2018.
– Emotions are on the surface. Vellu has done a great job in three years as a coach. From where we started, huh huh! You can’t help but be satisfied.
Ojala told what was going through his mind after crossing the finish line.
– Well, we did it, Ojala said, her voice trembling in a great surge of emotion.
– After many difficult years, this feels very good. For the first time, there was a decent success in the value competition. It swears to believe that there are possibilities for something here.
Ojala’s performance was very encouraging considering the European Championships in Munich to be held in a few weeks. He was no less than the fourth best European. The Europeans’ third place was about two and a half minutes behind. At the European Championships, on a good day and with a little luck, anything is possible.
– The big mörkö came off his shoulders. Looking forward to the EC-Munich. We still need to refine our tactics a bit and perfect our fitness, so great things can happen there, Ojala hinted.
Difficult with a beard
The second Finn of the race Aku Bearden got four warnings and the man’s race was already over after about an hour. He was a fine ninth in the 50 km walk at the Tokyo Olympics.
This year, Partanen has built up his technique more for the 20 kilometer walk.
– To be honest, it’s pretty overwhelming. I’ve been in good shape, now I’m left with such a picture that I couldn’t show it.
– I have had challenges with technology. There were competitions in the spring that resulted in rejections and warnings. During the summer, we tried to improve it and we got it in a better direction, but it didn’t work the way it should have.
Partase has recently had problems with his back, which is why he had to miss some exercises.
– The back wasn’t that painful, but maybe it affected the walking as if it wasn’t as relaxed as it needed to be.
The World Championships were the main event of the season for Partase. He could not yet say anything about the goals of the European Championship. However, according to an experienced walker, not much can be done in three weeks in terms of technique or anything else.
ME speed, the Swede doubled
Italy became the first 35 km men’s world champion Massino Stano at 2:23,14. It is a new ME era of a fairly new kind.
Japan won silver Masatora Kawano was just one second behind the Italian. Reached third place Perseus Karlstrom achieved his second medal of the Games. He was also third in the 20 kilometer walk on the opening day.
Karlström was half a minute behind Stano’s time.