Athletics | Leo-Pekka Tähti, 40, reeled harder than ever in his career

Track winder Leo-Pekka Tähti staged quite a bang in Dubai on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old from Pori participated in the T54 class 100 meter race and reportedly reached a faster pace than ever before in his career.

However, the tailwind was 5.4 meters per second, so it was not a record-worthy result. It could still be memorable.

– I don't think I've ever had that kind of speed in any races or in the wind, a veteran who has experienced everything told For the Finnish Sports Federation.

Maximum speed was at its best up to 37.4 kilometers per hour – or about 10.4 meters per second. Tähti crossed the finish line in 13.60 seconds.

The time is the second best of Tähti's career if all results are taken into account.

Porilainen has recorded a better result only 16 years ago, when he clocked a time of 13.59 in a competition organized in Switzerland, which, however, was not accepted into the record books, because there was no possibility to give a doping test in the competition.

The star's long-standing world record was therefore 13.63 before the Thai Athiwat Paeng-nuea21, crushed it just under a month ago.

in Dubai Paeng-nue was not contested, so Tähti won Wednesday's competition overwhelmingly.

It was different in Sharjah, which, like Dubai, belongs to the United Arab Emirates and where Tähti bowed to the Thai quite clearly last week.

However, the experience was important, even if Paeng-nuea took the win.

– The competition was technically very important to me. I studied his technique and in a way learned from it, Konkari said when talking about the Thai, who is 19 years younger.

– If I can use that lesson, the gap to him might be smaller already in the World Championships.

The World Cup medals will be fought for in Kobe, Japan in May.

Summer the highlight looms in the Paralympics in Paris, when Tähti is chasing her sixth – and last – Paralympic gold and Paeng-nue is defending her first.

That's why the terrible result in Dubai makes Tähke smile, even though there was too much wind.

– Clearly better than in Sharjah, but as the coach stated, we still need to find more speed between 30 and 50 meters. At that time, however, you have to be satisfied.

Vampula's Athletes Amanda Kotaja29, was second in Dubai, clocking 55.00 for the 400 meters.

It is the third best time of Kotaja's career.

The victory was taken by the American world record holder Tatyana McFadden with a time of 51.72.

– The level in the sport is now absolutely insane, Kotaja, who missed the World Championships and is preparing for the Paralympics in Paris, comments.