Six centimeters separated Senni Salminen from the triple jump WC final. He stretched 14.21 in the jump qualifying, and 14.27 was required to qualify for the top 12.
– Quite a tough race, but this time I did it, Salminen said calmly.
– I’m most happy that I’m okay like this, and I’m not about to die like I did after Tokyo, he continued.
A year ago in Japan, in the five-ring trials, he missed the final by a centimeter. At that time, the first-time competitor cursed, cried and left the interview station.
Now Salminen seemed as if he had come from training.
He laughed at the estimate.
– Of course I would have liked to go to the final, but I don’t think about it anymore, he commented.
– Somehow you know how to be kind to yourself. When you’ve tried your best, why beat yourself up. You learn all the time how to act in value competitions – how to Kristiina Mäkelä immediately got such a result, 14.48.
A running challenge
Senni Salminen’s result in the triple jump qualification was 14.21. He didn’t make it to the top twelve finals. PASI LEISMA
Salminen injured his leg during the hall season and missed the indoor track World Championships.
– At no point during the summer has any place been sore. But he noticed in the first couple of races that he didn’t really dare. And in the triple jump you have to dare.
The Finnish season’s best is 14.32, and the record was 14.63 last season.
– Saturday’s best result of 14.21 came with a really terrible run. If you could get the run to come optimally, there would be no problem. The jump will come.
The athlete announced before the start of the season that the goal is to win a medal in either Eugene or the European Championships in Munich.
– I know that I am in the best shape of the season, so I would have liked more here as well. I haven’t ranked the WC and EC competitions against each other, but of course there are fewer people in the EC.