Athletics|Lappalainen’s last years have been overshadowed by an intestinal parasite.
Middle distances runner Sara Lappalainen (born Kuivisto) has decided to hang the spikes on a nail. The 33-year-old Lappalainen says in the press release of the Finnish Sports Association that the decision to quit came after the summer competition season.
“It’s going to be a long winter here. When you were pounding it, you started to feel that you are ready to put yourself in the body to the fullest. You can’t do this with just one hand. I got the feeling that it probably isn’t. These past years have disciplined a lot. Feeling tired. I just can’t take it,” says Lappalainen in the press release.
Lappalainen was already thinking about quitting in Septemberbecause he has been troubled by health problems caused by an intestinal parasite in recent years. That’s why success at the Paris Olympics was also modest.
“The Olympics was such a final touch. I started to think that after I worked so incredibly hard for this and gave it my all, would I be able to do it all again when the reward is that I can’t even run.”
Lappalainen ran another Finnish record of 1,000 meters before the Paris Olympics, but in Paris Lappalainen ran only in the heats of 1,500 meters and missed the collection heat.
Lappalainen holds the Finnish records for women’s 800, 1000 and 1500 meters and the mile. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he ran in the semifinals of both the 800 and 1,500 meters.
Lappalainen took 16 gold medals from the Kaleva Games.
The 2021 Olympics in Tokyo were the highlight of Lappalainen’s career, who was still competing under her maiden name. He reached the semi-finals in both the 800 and 1500 meters and also ran the still valid Finnish record for both distances in Japan.
To the press release according to him, a health problem that plagued sports does not affect the rest of life. Lappalainen works as a real estate secretary and in the family’s catering company.
He doesn’t rule out running some races at some point either. Now the main form of exercise is cycling. His spouse competes in Elite class competitions.
“There, I have a training partner, and it’s been thought a little bit that I could pedal some races too, when that competitive spirit doesn’t disappear anywhere. A couple of weeks ago, I was riding my first bike race, and it was really nice,” says Lappalainen in the press release.
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