Hurdle runner Kristiina Halonen’s passion for the sport has been so strong that it has endured numerous injuries and breaks from running. He has set himself a time goal, but is not committed to it.
Nina Old house,
Anu Karttunen
15:59•Updated 15:59
Why am I here, at the World Cup?
400m hurdler Kristiina Halonen, 24, admits he’s wondered about it at times. His journey to the race came as a surprise both to the sports fans following the World Cup rankings from their sofas at home, and to the runner himself.
Kristiina Halonen and Viivi Lehikoinen will compete in the 400-meter hurdles heats at the World Championships in Oregon on Wednesday. The preliminary rounds are scheduled at 3:15 Finnish time.
The World Championships in Oregon were not even Halonen’s goal, as he had set his goal for the World Championships in Hungary a year later and focused on gaining ranking points for the European Championships.
– So to speak, I knew how to play the ranking game correctly and Tumo (Salonen) has helped with that. I have made it to the real games to collect ranking points, because the result alone is not enough, Halonen said and thanked the head of coaching of the Sports Confederation.
Another reason for Halonen’s place in the World Cup is that he has remained healthy recently. With a lot of leg injuries and stress fractures behind him, he hasn’t been able to use his skills on the racetracks. According to Halonen, no gimmicky tricks have been done, but only the potential that has been in him for many years has been brought out.
– I’ve had quite a cycle of injuries. And big injuries that have taken a really long time to rehabilitate. There could have been stretches of 9–11 months without running. They are too long if you want to make a result.
If you want results, you have to throw yourself
During his injuries, Halonen studied and graduated this spring as a Master of Science in Production Economics. While still in high school, he dreamed of studying medicine, but he knew he couldn’t combine it with sports.
– The fire of sports was bigger. I knew that medical studies are not so well applicable to practice and the goals I am seeking in sports.
Halonen knows that the real work only starts now if he wants to throw himself into the sport to the fullest. After this, nothing comes for free, you have to work for it and make everything more professional.
– The desire to continue this is strong. Especially in the last month, I’ve been thinking a lot about the fact that if I want results, I have to throw myself into sports.
In Halonen’s opinion, sports are thrown into the mix in Finland and very little is encouraged. The pressure to work or study is strong for him.
– Permission to play sports is quite difficult to get. I personally feel that if you really want to get hard results, you have to dare to throw yourself. Cowards dare not.
There are no limits if you don’t set them
Despite all the difficulties, Halonen is now in Eugene. Ready to run in the first race of his life, before he has even won a medal at the Kaleva Games. According to Halonen, his passion for sports has not gone out, and that is why he has been able to continue his training.
– I just had such a big fire to show myself and others. When I’ve seen glimpses in training that I’ve gone hard and been able to run fences, the belief that I can run hard and get to the prestigious races has been there, he reflected.
– In some way, I want to be able to inspire others as well and give hope that everything is possible if you have the will and can only try. Persistent work is rewarded. It may take time, but sometimes that reward will come.
However, Halonen does not want to see his World Cup trip as a reward. For him, it is one stage in his own journey and he wants to enjoy that journey. He is one of those people for whom the journey is more important than the destination.
Halonen admits that it is difficult for him to set goals for the World Championships, because the preparations did not go as he had hoped for health reasons. He is going to do an intact run, but at the same time he wants to break his record of 56.76, which he ran in the Oulu ranking competition.
– I don’t see an obstacle that I can’t run that record. It’s more that you just have to control those variables.
Halonen has developed rapidly in recent years and has been able to reduce his record time by almost two seconds this summer. However, he can’t say where his potential lies, and he doesn’t want to stick to a specific time goal.
– This season I’ve had a certain time goal, 56 seconds, but it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t go under, he said.
– I believe that if you train in the right and smart way, you can constantly improve. Those limits don’t exist if you don’t set them for yourself.