Former track and field star Sara Lappalainen won the cycling race

Sara Lappalainen reaps success in a new sport. In the photo, Lappalainen at the EC athletics competitions in June 2024. Picture: Pete Aarre-Ahtio / IS

Former middle distance runner, 800m and 1500m SE female Sara Lappalainen has competed in a brand new sport this summer.

The Lappalainen has competed in cycling and on Sunday won his first victory in his fourth race. Lappalainen won the women’s general category competition of the Simo Klimscheffskij memorial run in Turku on Sunday.

Lappalainen commented on his achievement on Instagram in a happy tone.

“I’ve been able to drive four races now, and those starts have taught me a lot! At the weekend, I drove a block race, where I placed fourth. Tactically, it didn’t go quite right, but it was a good training course,” Lappalainen writes.

“On Sunday, I was able to show my strength in the hills in the SK memorial races and I brought home a victory.”

Lapp34, also says that the summer cycling competitions have started with a bang and the competition has been fun. Last summer, Lappalainen gave birth to a child and did not compete in any sports.

“One can only say that sport is the best. It’s nice to notice that one’s own and most important goal has been fully realized. This is now done out of a desire to have fun and enjoy sport. A twinkle in the corner of the eye, when there is more to life.”

Suffering from bad injuries, Lappalainen ended his athletics career in the fall of 2024.

Lappalainen was at the peak of his career at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Then he improved both the 800 and 1500 meter Finnish records in both the preliminary and semi-finals.

Finnish records are still held by Lappalainen.

Correction May 5, 2026 at 4:23 p.m.: in the main picture of the story, Lappalainen is at the European Athletics Championships in 2024, not in 2026, as was originally written in the story.