The Olympic medalist has survived the knee and back pain of the training season through hard training.
Breaststroke Olympic bronze medalist Matti Mattsson got a feel for a decent race on Tuesday when a German swimmer Marco Koch put the Helsinki Swim Meet competition in the 200-meter breaststroke strong.
Mattsson was the first to hit his hand at the end of the pool at the Mäkelänrinne Swimming Center and defeated Koch in 0.07 seconds.
First place was first, but Mattsson was anything but happy with his first international start of the season. The time now is 2.12.79.
“I went to get the 2.10 limit. There seems to be too much to do now, ”Mattsson said.
According to Mattsson, the Helsinki breaststroke was the first 200-meter he tried to swim hard after last year’s Tokyo Olympic finals. In January, he went to Turku to “race”, and then the main trip was only a second slower than in Helsinki.
In winter during his training season, Mattsson described it as good, even though his knees and back have been painful. He keeps them fit through hard workouts.
“It hasn’t been quite as airy as it could have been. But just fine, ”Mattsson described.
The swimming summer is colored by the World Championships in Budapest in June and the European Championships in Rome in August. The World Cup was delayed by a month when Japan’s Fukuoka changed to Hungary. Mattsson’s plans will not be affected by the change, except that it will save on a long flight.
“This week is racing, and next week will be pulled a little more relaxed. Then let’s head towards summer. When the European Championships are in mid-August, a rather long battle is ahead, ”says Mattsson.
In addition to Helsinki, he will be competing in Stockholm for the rest of the week. Mattsson won’t miss any other races before the World Cup pool.
“It’s always gone that way, and that’s how we go to the end of our swimming career. It doesn’t bother to show everything everywhere, ”Mattsson said.
Tokyo swim in the semi-finals of the 100-meter breaststroke at the Olympics Ida Hulkko got a taste of the pace of the medal in May last year when he swam in the European Championships in the 50 meters for silver. Continuing at the finals level and challenging the medal at the European Championships will make Hulkko even better.
“I will focus on the 100-meter race, considering the hundred of the Paris Olympics,” Hulkko said of his training priorities after winning the 100-meter breaststroke in Helsinki at 1.08, 09.
He rejoiced that in the evening he was able to improve considerably from the early part of the morning (1.09.75). Now I was in a good mood for the opening of the season.
Last season, in addition to the championships, Tampere swimmer contracted in the autumn ISL swimming league competitions. He invested mentally everything he demanded in the Olympics.
“After the World Cup in December, I charged the batteries for three weeks. This season I have had to look for the joy that preceded Tokyo. Fortunately, there is no rush when the long season is coming, ”Hulkko said.
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