Viivi Lehikoinen has prepared meticulously for the World Championships.
SE woman Viivi Lehikoinen prepared for the World Championships in athletics in the same special and very Finnish-sounding way – in the sauna.
The reason for Lehikoinen’s trick is the heat of Budapest. Heat of over 30 degrees and sunshine are expected in the city when the heats of the 400-meter hurdles are run on Monday.
There has been no wind at the stadium at all over the weekend, so the heat feels very scorching.
– In our sport, it is difficult to train in a hot room. I have gone to the sauna after training for half an hour. The sweating system starts better, Lehikoinen explains.
Viivi Lehikoinen is chasing a place in the semifinals on Monday. PASI LEISMA
Everything shows that the Finnish runner has wanted to hone every detail of the World Cup preparation down to the last detail. He went to Hungary at the end of July to compete and learn about the local weather.
Because of the World Championships, Lehikoinen traveled to Budapest earlier than usual. He has also considered the effects of eating and drinking in the heat.
– I have tried to stay here in the sun. It’s a sports drink. Eating is also a big part. Using carbohydrates as energy accelerates in the heat. These are small factors that make up a bigger stream.
– It’s more about knowing that I’m prepared. I wanted to not feel mentally unable to control the heat.
Alongside the superstar
Viivi Lehikoinen clocked Finnish records last season. PASI LEISMA
Lehikoinen will run in the first heat of the 400-meter hurdles on Monday. The company is tough, because there is a reigning world champion in the same round Dalilah Muhammad.
– The game is tough, but not impossible. I think a time of 55 seconds and above is enough for a semi-final spot. It might even go to 56.
Lehikoinen’s SE run in June is 54.40.
Lehikoinen has invested in the fact that the rhythm of aitoning would remain even in the competition. At the start of the World Cup, he starts from the second track.
The Finn has experience with that, because last season he clocked a record improvement in Stockholm’s Diamond League from just another track.
– We thought about it earlier, coach Mikael Ylöstalo with whether the fence training should be withdrawn from the second track. I was that St. In the morning I sent a message that the second track was coming, Lehikoinen laughed and pointed to the Finn supervising his training.
– I’m not worried. Track number two is better than track number one.
Five heats are run. The top four from each heat advance to the next round, and in addition, there are four time comparison spots for the semi-finals.
The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday and the final on Thursday.