Harden or crumble.
This slogan was cultivated in the national team in the 80s, during the glory days of Finnish judo.
Something similar seems to be going on Valtteri Olin in the parents’ minds when their five-year-old son was even pushed by his younger ones. The family lived in Austria when the mother decided that the boy needed to strengthen his self-esteem.
– My mother noticed that I am quite a sensitive person. A guy a couple of years younger could push me off the bus seat, and I didn’t know how to defend myself.
There were children practicing judo in the kindergarten, and so young Valtteri was also taken to a new hobby.
When the family moved back to Finland, he continued his hobby at Kerava’s strength training club in Bodonos. I was struggling with my new environment and motivation, and wanted to quit judo altogether.
– I didn’t like those training sessions, but my father said that I can’t stop until the first competitions have taken place. I went to the first competitions and fell in love with this sport. And here we are.
An Olympic place within striking distance
Olin, who fights in the 73-kilogram division, is now a three-time Finnish champion at the age of 25, whose next goal is to claim a place at the Paris Olympics.
Finland didn’t have a single judoka at the Tokyo Games, but there might be more of them in Paris. European champion Martti Puumalainen have already redeemed their tickets, in addition to Olin, they are looking for an additional seat Pihla Salonen and Luukas Saha.
At the European Championships in Zagreb last week, Olin defeated some tough names and advanced to the bronze medal match. However, he lost that and finished fifth in the competition.
– Yes, it left quite a good taste, even if the medal was up for grabs. It then crashed due to a few mistakes, but I’m quite satisfied with the overall picture.
The success in the European Championships significantly improved Olin’s position in the Olympic qualification. The qualifiers end with the World Championships in Abu Dhabi at the end of May.
In addition to important ranking points, Zagreb also has a black eye and a slight rib injury. Despite this, Olin believes in his chances of reaching the Olympics.
– After all, it’s every little boy’s dream. Now let’s recover a bit from these minor injuries and go full speed ahead to the late spring games.
Head coach of the national team Rok Draksic considers Olin’s Olympic place even probable.
– If he competes at the same level as in the European Championship, it shouldn’t be a problem. He beat some really good opponents.
Puumainen’s EC gold inspires
In the 80s and early 90s, Finland won no less than 15 prestigious medals in judo, three of which were European Championship gold and one World Championship bronze. However, then came a long dry season, which only ended last fall, when Puumalainen won the EC gold.
Puumalainen’s achievement inspired the rising Finnish national judo team even more.
– It had been 30 years since the previous competition medal. Then Martti set an example that it is possible for the rest of us as well.
It is also encouraging that Olin’s program is largely the same as Puumalainen’s, as they have traveled to almost all the same camps and competitions.
– Of course, Marti has slightly bigger weights than me, Olin grins.
Slovenia’s recipe for success in the background
The background of the new rise of Finnish judo is the Slovenian Rok Draksic, who was hired as the head coach a few years ago, and who has been contracted by the Judo Federation until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Draksic’s work in Finland has not gone unnoticed abroad either, as he was recently awarded as the best men’s coach in Europe last year.
– When I started, Finland was among the five worst countries in Europe in judo. Now we are at an average level and we are developing all the time. The whole team has raised their level a lot. I’m proud of the team.
Olin feels that Draksic has saved Finnish judo. The 2013 European champion has brought a program to Finland, with which Slovenia has reaped great success since the turn of the millennium.
– We follow an almost similar program, with which Slovenia won six Olympic medals, 13 World Cup medals and a total of 50 competition medals. Rok has modified the program based on his own experiences, so I believe it is even better than it was when he was active.
Measured by Olympic medals, judo is Slovenia’s number one sport. Two of the country’s six Olympic judo medals are gold.
Finland has never won an Olympic medal in judo, but according to Draksic, the situation may change at the Los Angeles Games in four years at the latest.
– When athletes understand what is required of them and they commit to work, the results follow. We are aiming for a medal in every race, already this summer, but in the future it will be even more realistic.