Veera Kivirinta, who finished fifth in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke EC final, was moved in an interview with Urheilu when she was asked about her feelings about her departure from Tampere.
Antti Sahlström,
Matti Lehtisaari
20:06•Updated 20:25
Veera Kivirinta finished fifth in the 50m breaststroke final of the European Swimming Championships in Rome. Kivirinta clocked a time of 30.86 in the final, while he had reached a time of 30.77 in the semi-finals.
Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won the European championship with a time of 29.59. Italian Benedetta Pilato took the silver in 29.71 and the British Imogen Clark took the bronze with a score of 30.31.
Kivirinta, 27, has represented the swimming club TaTU Tampere since 2020, but is moving to the ranks of the Helsinki Swimming Academy (HSA). Now Kivirinta is waiting for police studies and new winds.
– It’s a bit sad moment when I don’t want to leave Tampere. Terribly scary and exciting, Kivirinta was moved and covered her face in the middle of her answer.
Kivirinta regretted that the European Championships did not end with a successful finish, like Was at Koko on Tuesday. Kokko swam a Finnish record in the EC final. On the other hand, Koko’s final ranking was the same as Kivirinna’s, fifth.
– But I know that the whole team in Tampere is proud of my place in the final and my swimming. So it doesn’t help to be sad, Kivirinta quickly gathered herself.
Watch Veera Kivirinna’s final swim in the video below
Kivirinta already set her record of 30.34 in the heats. In the semifinals and finals, he could no longer reach the same pace.
– I will give myself ten of these games. My swim in the beginning was really sick, really sick. I just thought there would be nothing to lose in the final. Of course, it would have been nice to swim in the final close to my time in the heats, Kivirinta summed up her EC swimming.
Kivirinta admitted that the road to the European Championships has been trying.
– It’s been a mental roller coaster and I haven’t trusted myself every moment. On the other hand, a little uncertainty is a good thing and creates tension.
Finland’s only medal in track swimming at the European Championships in Rome remained Matti Mattsson’s men’s 200m breaststroke silver.