Qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics took a tough line. The Finnish record woman is looking forward to the summer of two value competitions.
Last summer, a three-jump spot with his flying jumps delighted Senni Salminen26, will start his outdoor track guarantee in the Athletics GP series in Lahti on Wednesday.
Salminen missed the Belgrade World Championships in early March due to an ankle injury. Now the ankle is okay and the mind is as bright as Tuesday. According to the original plan, Salminen was not to start his season until the Paavo Nurmi Games in mid-June.
– We ended up with my coach Matti Monosen with a couple of weeks ago a little ex-tempore to see if I would race in Lahti anyway. Since the body is in good condition and there are no other obstacles, why not, the cheerful Salminen says.
Salminen, who broke the magnificent Finnish record of 14.63 last summer, has already been selected for the Eugene World Championships, which start in mid-July. When a bouncy miracle now doesn’t have to attack the result limits, it releases energy for the rest.
– Of course there is a calm mind now. Because I was chasing the Olympic line tight last year, it took a lot of effort.
In addition to the Eugene World Championships in Athletics, the European Championships will be competed in the summer. The European Championships will be held in August in Munich.
“We take the Finnish Games as a starter”
Before the World Cup, Salminen’s calendar is almost full.
– We will start with the Finnish Games: Lahti, Turku and Kuortane. It would be hoped to have one tough competition abroad before leaving for the Yankees.
Salminen got to experience both sides of the sport last summer. In addition to the moments of joy, there was one bitter disappointment in the crowd when the place in the final at the Tokyo Olympics was a cent short. Salminen showed real courage in admitting directly that the head could not stand the qualifier.
– It seemed easier to say it out loud. I immediately thought at the stadium that it was a matter of urgency to explain it. Until well into the fall, I still avoided dealing with the matter. It is only recently that I have started to feel that I have understood what happened there, Salminen emphasizes.
Spiritual stuff has been carefully considered.
– I’m thinking about things both myself and Mati. Mind control has been practiced.
Usually, the moments of disappointment in sports are the ones that teach the most. Salminen believes that too.
– Immediately after the Olympic qualifiers, I felt like I never wanted to experience the same feeling again. Yes, it took a lot.
“Creative doing is a great counterweight to sport”
When Salminen’s development was fast, things just happened. He gives a concrete example.
– Before last summer, I thought it would be a joke to get to the Olympics sometimes. Then one of two booms, I’m in the Olympics and right away someone’s medal hope. That’s where the shit got mixed up.
This summer, Salminen wants to break the 15-meter limit.
– All the conditions are there. For the last two years we have gone to workouts at speed above. It has worked.
Salminen describes himself as a creative person. There must be more to life than just sports.
– Photography is a way for me to get my brain clenched. Creating creatively is a great counterbalance to sports. Even most of my friends are artists. You can dive into a completely different world.
The domestic GP series starts on Wednesday in Lahti. The race night can be watched live at 5.45 pm on Areena and at 6.30 pm on TV2.