Sprint promise Nora Lindahl chose the Finnish national team

After last year, Lindahl wanted to change Sweden’s blue and yellow national team uniform to Finland’s blue and white colors.

The umbrella organization of athletics, World Athletics, fulfilled the sprinter’s wish and granted him the right to represent Finland.

However, the Espoo native lost one big thing with his change. Due to the grace period, he will not be able to participate in the European Championships organized in Birmingham in August in the name of both countries.

Normally the waiting period after the change of land is three years, but the Finnish Sports Federation managed to negotiate a one-year reduction for Lindahl.

Lindahl will be allowed to represent Finland in value competitions from January 1, 2028. In the same year, the Olympics will be held in the United States and the European Championships in Poland.

He has announced that his main goal for the next few years is the Los Angeles giants.

Even though Lindahl has to watch the summer European Championships from the stands, it hardly bothers him very much. The sprinter knew the consequences of his choice.

Athletics expert Lauri Hollo I don’t see that a couple of years of waiting for representation would be any other harm to Lindahl.

Lindahl recently improved her 100m record dramatically to 11.18. There was only five hundredths of time left Hläna to Marjamaa from the Finnish record run in 1983.

Missing one hard race hardly hinders the development of a young athlete.

“She won’t miss anything like the European Championship, and I don’t think it will affect her in any way. Otherwise, Lindahl has the right to compete normally,” says Hollo.

“He gets to run in the Diamond League if he gets there and can at least compete in the Continental Tour, which is the next level racing series.”

Hollo is not sure if the promise will be seen in Finnish colors in the Diamond League competitions this and next summer. It is not necessarily up to the athlete’s own will.

“Getting into the Diamond League in his time is all about that. It also depends a lot on whether the athlete’s Manager has a good enough relationship with the organizer. Nowadays, the toughest competitions are entered with a lot of relationships. Those coached by certain managers always have priority,” says Hollo.

Hollo also does not believe that the grace period will discipline Lindahl’s finances.

“Because he wants to represent Finland, he probably felt that there is a better system and support system here. That would be quite funny in itself, because at least I have always imagined that the systems are better in Sweden.”

“But he certainly knows better than I do in which country he has a better chance of earning a living through sports.”

According to Hollo, it is exceptional for a top athlete to change his representative country to Finland.

“It’s nice that it turned out this way. Finland may have been careful with these things. For example, the recruitment of immigrants is on a completely different level in Sweden and Norway. In Finnish athletics, there hasn’t been proper preparation for that.”

“Of course, there are many more immigrants in Sweden, but there are also quite a few runners in Norway who are not of Norwegian origin. I don’t know why we haven’t really got this going,” Hollo reflects.

Expert looking forward to Lindahl’s next seasons. In his opinion, the person from Espoo can be a blue-and-white medal hope, at least at the European level.

“Nora is only two tenths away from the top in Europe, and at her age, the development should still continue. Everything is possible. We don’t have too many sprinters with whom we can talk about prestigious race medals.”

Hollo emphasizes that, based on her results, Lindahl is a big boost for Finnish athletics. He would currently be among the two fastest sprinters in Sweden as well, as it is now in Finland Lotta Kemppinen with.

Kemppinen’s, 28, record in the hundred is one hundredth slower.

Hollo considers 200 meters as Lindahl’s parade distance.

“I could see that he has even more potential in the 200 meters than in the 100 meters. His stride would seem to suit it a little better.”

“Hundred runners are very often sprinters who run with a tight step rhythm. The start is not the best for 200 meter runners, but when you get up to speed after 60 meters, the difference starts to show.”

His mother Frida Lindahlin the record-worthy best quote in 200 meters by a sprinter he coaches is 22.88.