Mikko Kanala of Vimpelin Vedo is back in top form. The season has been overshadowed by severe injuries to the hand and hind legs. Now he is ready for the final series of Veto and Tampere Manse PP.
Pennant Bet Mikko Kanalan, 30, has had quite a rollercoaster season due to arm and leg injuries. In the semi-finals, Kanala, who returned from a two-month sick leave, assures that he is fine.
– Now I’m almost in perfect shape, I’m feeling good. At the same time, I have to admit that returning to the field in the semifinals was a risky game, because I wasn’t sure how my leg would hold up. Miss it, you have to be a little crazy to take that kind of risk.
– I realized that if the leg doesn’t last, the direction will take me to the operating table, and if it lasts, I’ll finally get to do what the work was done for.
After the first game, Kanala’s hamstring, which entered the field a little nervously, was quite sore, even though he was not given the responsibility to advance.
– However, the feelings improved. In the last game I ran at full speed and my leg lasted. The feeling after that game was undeniably great.
However, before this moment, Kanala’s season has had a lot of headwinds. Already in the Halle era, the hip flexor tore and there was a small tear in the back thigh. The difficulties culminated in the throwing test at the end of April.
– There was a bang from the throwing arm’s elbow. It knew that the muscles that move the fingers were torn. At the same time, the tendon detached from the elbow.
– However, there was luck on the way, because the ligament was attached next to the detached tendon. Thanks to that, the hand was not operated, but it was decided to let it heal with rehabilitation.
Kanala returned to the field a month later as a joker. Ukopeli called a couple of weeks later.
– The injury did not hinder diving, but it made it difficult to throw and hit. I wasn’t even able to play at full strength in the first matches.
– When the hand started working better all the time, it gave me more confidence. After Midsummer, my hand was almost fine, that is, I was able to throw and hit almost normally.
Bad leg injury
Mikko Kanala’s season has been tough. Elmeri Ero / AOP
Kanala didn’t get to enjoy his return to playing condition for long, when the season ended at the end of June. At that time, in the match played in Imatra, Vetolainen advanced from third towards the home base, bringing in a run. It hurt at the same time.
– The pain was intense. It was a leg that had already been operated on before. I thought the tendon had come off the sciatic tubercle. I was absolutely sure that the season was over, because I practically couldn’t even step on my feet.
The leg was examined by ultrasound. In the examinations, a one and a half centimeter tear was found in the lower part of the buttocks.
– At the same time, it became clear that surgery was not necessary. Therefore, the leg was not magnetically imaged either. The feeling was still really bad, because I couldn’t even pull a sock on my leg.
Kanala started to rehabilitate his leg according to the instructions. However, the pain did not go away.
– I was amazed, because I was used to the fact that a tear of that size heals in about a month. It didn’t feel that way now, because the pain didn’t go away.
An MRI of the hind thigh was finally done about a month after the injury. The discovery drew Kanala back to dark thoughts.
– It turned out that the previously diagnosed tear had completely healed. Even so, a four-centimeter burst of blood was still visible above the injury site, meaning there had been an even bigger tear at that point.
Due to the discovery, the return to the fields became uncertain again.
– The rehabilitation continued with full force, even though I drew devils on the walls regarding my recovery. However, everything went surprisingly quickly, and I decided to risk a comeback in the semifinals, as I told you before.
There’s a feeling
Overall, a lot has fit into Kanala’s last year or so. About a year ago, he put the cap on the bottle of alcohol through the Minnesota treatment.
– Previously, I would have taken care of injuries by drinking, now things have changed, so I am very happy in that sense.
When asked if Kanala is now chasing his second gold in a good year, because getting sober is definitely a golden thing, he thinks quietly.
– You could think of it that way, the man thinks.
Kanala, who has won eleven medals (three gold) in his career and has swept the leaderboard three times, is waiting for the emotional dawn of two greats from the starting final series.
– There are big personalities on the field, so there is definitely enough feeling. Game-wise, we are quite even. We maybe have a bit more hitting power and Manse has legs again.
At the same time, he is amazed at the commotion related to the behavior in the stands.
– There has been a wonderful chirping from here and there, and a fly has once become a bull. After all, the feeling belongs in the stands, and there you have to be able to live and express your views, as long as it doesn’t become vulgar.
– I myself have had to listen to being called a drunkard for years, about which I have made no complaint. Those shouts don’t matter to me, but they’re certainly not the smartest comments.
The first Superpesis final Vimpeli–Manse on Saturday at 3 p.m.