This is how Martti Puumalainen dealt with Olympic disappointment

Public expectations were high, but judoka Martti Puumalainen confidence does not. The result was a bitter defeat in the opening round of the heavyweight division of the Paris Olympics.

The “marathon” races ended quickly, when Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Kokauri clinched the win in less than three minutes.

“The main goal and result of the four years is here. The mind is more than low. The saddest day of my life, and it’s been a bad year,” Puumalainen said immediately after the race.

After the Olympics, some of the Finnish athletes felt that they were left alone at the Games and that they needed more support. However, the problem with Puma was almost the opposite.

“I received almost so much support that I had to start hurrying. I got support, but also space and time. I didn’t feel like I was left alone at all.”

“Of course, it wasn’t a joke or a good feeling, but I did get the support I needed.”

More accurate analysis was only a matter of weeks, even months, to come. The disappointment was too strong for further reflection, but the handling of matters began quickly.

“I visited my father, my brother and the chairman of the judo association Esa Niemen eating with. We talked a little about that.”

“I watched the matches there on the spot. Then I went back to the race village. There were some damn good chocolate chip cookies. I ate them and drank soda. There were a lot of calories in those cookies, but I didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the time.”

However, the man from Puuma did not try to drown his emotions and reset the situation in the traditional Finnish way by grabbing a pint.

“We didn’t go drinking. There were Finnish javelin throwers living in the same cell, so it would have been rude to come at three in the morning in a terrible state to wake them up. That’s how much you have to appreciate the performance of others.”