Athletics World Championships | A strong run took Viivi Lehikoinen to the semi-finals: “I would have gone harder, but I didn’t want to squeeze too much”

Sport|Athletics World Championships

Eugene, Oregon

Viivi Lehikoinen reached his goal at the World Athletics Championships.

For the third time in his career, Lehikoinen broke 55 seconds in the heats of the 400 meters and made it to Thursday’s semifinals as the 11th fastest.

“It went according to plan. I was able to relax a bit more at the end. It’s great that you can continue with the basic run,” said Lehikoinen.

Lehikoinen clocked 54.95, with which he finished third in his heat in a tough company.

The set was won by Jamaica Janieve Russell, who was third in the Olympics last year in Tokyo. Came second Shamier Littlethird at the US Championships.

“I would have gone a little harder today, but I wanted to push too hard. I focused on the initial acceleration for a long time, long steps and just let go.”

Leafy fenced the first four fences at 15 furlongs and then changed to sixteen.

“I was very satisfied with that. In the semifinals, the goal is to place as well as possible. It’s hard to say what time it is.”

A place in the final would require at least Tuija Helanderin breaking the nearly 35-year-old Finnish record of 54.62. In the heats of the World Championships, it would have been enough instead of sixth.

A year ago, the Helsinki native narrowly missed out on the semifinals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he ran a time of 55.67.

“Tokyo was my first adult competition experience, where I did quite well. I remembered it here too, that you can survive at your own level. In that way it was useful.”

Also Kristiina Halonen was pleased with his run, where he improved his old record of 56.76 to a time of 56.68.

“I had no sense of time,” Halonen said before going to work.

“It’s a bit annoying that it was a routine performance. The end was really sour. It shouldn’t be like that if you’re going to become strong.”

Halonen was fifth in his heat and 28th overall.

From Lappeenranta is the most unknown athlete of the Finnish team. He has suffered a lot from injury. During his convalescence, he graduated with a master’s degree in engineering.

The preparation for Eugene did not go in the best possible way. Halonen was ill.

“It’s hard to say if it was the flu or something. I don’t want to say them as explanations. Flus come and they need to be managed. The athlete must learn to deal with them. Fortunately, I didn’t have the flu, so I was somehow able to train.”

Halonen said that he was sick three times during the summer. He felt pain even last week when he heard about his selection for the World Cup.

“During the transitional period, you have to think about why I’ve been sick so sensitively. Actually, yesterday and today I feel that I am somehow in the books of the living, but there is no point in explaining anything. You can see how the run is going on the scoreboard. No need to speculate.”

of the European Championships the ranking period closes next week. Halonen is solidly in the EC ranking, so there are still two prestigious competitions of the summer ahead.

“Quite a lot of dirt, maybe a dozen should come by. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

In general, what kind of experience do you consider your first value competitions in your career?

“Of course I learned, but not the more amazing competitions. It didn’t take long wondering like Alice in Wonderland, just basic stuff. It still seemed good.”