The too fast competitive pace took the edge out of Ida Hulko's swimming and forced her to take a long breath. The professional swimming league brought further sorrow, from which Hulko did not receive a considerable amount of money.
The difficult ones after seasons Ida Hulkko returned to the international top of swimming, when in February he was the best Finn at the Fifth Long Course World Championships in Doha.
In terms of summer, Hulkko succeeded in the “wrong” distance – the 50-meter breaststroke is not included in the Olympic distances in Paris. He was 19th in Doha in the 100-meter breaststroke on the Olympic journey.
The ranking in the Olympic pool would not have been enough for the semifinals of the 16 best swimmers, where Hulkko was twelfth in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
After Doha, the 25-year-old from Tampere recharged his batteries on the slopes of Ruka. Now he is full of energy again and ready to renew his Olympic place in Paris next summer.
The motivation for top swimming has remained, even though many others might have already quit after going through the same thing as Hulkko.
In the spring and summer competitions, Hulko's goal is to swim under the 100-meter breaststroke A limit of 1:06.79 at the Paris Olympic Games. In the preliminaries in Tokyo, he swam his still valid Finnish record of 1:06.19.
Before there was a lot going on back to the top.
After the Olympic Games in Tokyo, a sports psychologist was added to the coaching team supporting Hulko, who helped and encouraged him to move forward.
Relying on the support of a psychologist is commonplace for many top athletes under ever-increasing pressure.
“Releasing the competitive tension was not a problem for me. I was and am very self-critical. We actively discuss things with the psychologist, although we rarely talk about sports,” says Hulkko.
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“The hard pace of the race had begun to eat away mentally.”
The Olympic year 2021 was good anyway. In the spring, Hulkko swam for EC silver in the 50-meter breaststroke and a new professional league International Swimming League (ISL) offered a lot of lucrative competitions.
In hindsight, there were too many of them. In some other sport, the annual pace of 70–80 races would be an impossible equation, but not necessarily in swimming.
Towards the end of the year, the ferocious pace of the race started to pick up. The body went into overdrive and the mental edge was hard, even though there was a psychologist in the team.
Hulkko admits that after Tokyo a break would have been in order, but the streak just continued and continued until it was necessary to stop.
“The hard pace of the race had begun to eat away mentally. It finally ate itself, when physically it was no longer able to beat with the same rhythm as when it was young. The end result was expected,” says Hulkko.
Things were discussed with the team and the psychologist. The psychologist urged Hulkko to be merciful. If it doesn't work, you shouldn't hit your head too much on the pool tiles.
For example, the 2022 long track value races were completely missed.
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“It was a lot of work to do, it wasn't over.”
Ida Hulkko in the semi-finals in the Tokyo Olympic pool in July 2021.
Difficulties at the end of a bleak 2022, Hulkko did not return to international competitions until the short course WC swimming in December. Hulkko was ninth (100 meters) and tenth (50 meters) in his breaststroke races.
“It was a lot of work to do, it wasn't over.”
In the summer of 2023, Hulkko first swam as Finnish champion with a time of 1:07.94, then second in the German championships in 1:08.49 and in the World Championships in Fukuoka in the preliminaries in 1:07.58.
Already in Fukuoka, Hulko felt that his body was starting to withstand the speed again, but there was still room for improvement for the next prestigious championships, the World Championships in February 2024 in Doha.
In Doha, Hulkko swam the 100 meter breast in a time of 1.08.21. However, swimming in Doha in three trips – fifth place in 50 meters and 100 and 200 meters – brought faith or the much-needed grace, even if Hulkko was not completely satisfied.
“The speed was visible in the 50-meter race and at the beginning of the 100-meter race, which I hadn't done 80 meters so well in many years. Endurance fell in the last 15 meters.”
In principle, the logic is the same as in a hundred-meter run. Whoever slows down the least at the end wins.
“Yes, few people can tighten anymore at the end.”
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“The Helsinki Games will still be a training session, but after that the Olympic limit should go in Stockholm.”
When things come together, the conclusion is clear: for the coming summer, Hulko needs to improve his endurance and acid tolerance without losing his speed.
“The first 50 meters are going hard. The other half is praying and fighting against the acid,” he describes.
This is also what the coach is aiming for in the new training season, which started after the rest period spent on the snow in Ruka Jere Jännens under.
Next, Hulkko will attack the 100 Olympic mark, perhaps already at Easter at the Helsinki Swim Meet event, although the games may come too early.
“The Helsinki Games are still a training session, but after that the Olympic limit should go in Stockholm. We start building fitness towards that, and there are many competitions in the summer as well.”
Although Hulkko will also swim 200 meters in Doha, he is not aiming for the Olympic Games on that trip.
“200 meters has been a surprising distance. It would have a lot to take on, even if you can't compete with the top of the world with it.”
Ida Hulkko (left) and Veera Kivirinta in the long course WC pool in Doha in February.
Fukoka's long course World Cup placings of 21st (50-meter breaststroke) and 24th (100-meter breaststroke) made Hulko the swimmer of the year 2023 on the lists of sports journalists.
In Hulko's opinion, the title would have belonged to the person who finished fifth in the 50-meter breaststroke at the European Short Course Championships Veera Kivirinna. Kivirinta was 13th in the long track World Championships on the same trip, which means she was in the semi-finals.
Hulkko did not compete in the European Short Track Championships and was behind Kivirinna in the World Championships. Also Matti Mattsson was more successful than Hulkko. Mattsson was tenth in the 200-meter breaststroke at the World Championships on a long course.
A couple of months after the selection of editors, Hulkko is still on the same lines.
“There are people better than me from last year. I was not the best swimmer in Finland. I'll still be happy to accept the recognition. It is appreciated. I hope I'm really the best this year.”
Of difficulties despite that, Hulko's head stayed afloat even when he lost a large amount of money due to unpaid wages from the professional swimming league.
In total, Hulko did not receive nearly 40,000 euros, which would have been needed. Other swimmers who participated in the ISL swimming league were also left out of the series.
“I made a hard account, but I haven't gotten a single penny back. Just under 40,000 euros is an annual salary for many. Many colleagues who participated in the league had to quit. The matter has been clarified a lot, but the salaries have not been paid”, says Hulkko.
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“The plans have changed. At no point did I think that I would swim this long.”
The professional league was financed by a Ukrainian-Russian businessman and billionaire Konstantin Grigorish, which was put on the EU sanctions list because of the war in Ukraine.
The league began operations in 2019. Hulkko joined with the highest hopes. In addition to hard results, the purpose was to earn money – swimming is Hulko's profession.
Hulkko does not believe that the money will still appear in the account.
“My own assessment is that the money will never be received, even though the league has said so in public. Fortunately, I didn't put everything on the league, otherwise I survived.”
The league has also ended.
“I wonder if it would start again,” says Hulkko.
Back in the years Hulkko dreamed of the army's special forces and becoming a pilot. Hulko's father Petri Hulkko is a former commander of the Land Forces.
“Well, those plans have changed. At no point did I think I would swim this long. I still want to continue my sports career as long as it lasts.”
In the previous ones in their interviews Hulkko has emphasized that there must be backup plans in sports. In autumn 2020, the Mikkeli-born swimmer started studying English at the University of Tampere.
The bachelor's papers are almost ready. Next, Hulkko plans to get his master's papers in order. The degree provides opportunities for multilingual communication, such as interpreting.
“Sports could also be something to do in the future. If I stay on the pool side, then as a coach.”
Ida Hulkko in the Tokyo Olympic pool in July 2021.
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