Athletics | Expert: Hilla Uusimäki is a medal contender at the European Championships

Aitajuoksija Hilla Uusimäki is heading into the upcoming European Athletics Championships in peak form, having recently shattered the Finnish national record in the 400-meter hurdles.

Competing at the Tampere GP, Uusimäki clocked an impressive 54.28 seconds, surpassing Viivi Lehikoinen's previous record of 54.40. Oskari Mörö, a former hurdler and athletics expert, observed Uusimäki's race and believes she has a realistic chance of securing a medal at the championships.

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It was by no means a perfect race. The hurdles on the back straight were even a bit choppy, but the end of the race was very strong.

Mörö, who was coached by the same mentor as Uusimäki, noted that while her record-breaking run appeared relaxed and strong, there is still room for improvement, particularly in optimizing her hurdle rhythm. "It was by no means a perfect race," Mörö stated, adding that the latter part of the race was particularly strong.

Uusimäki's new record places her fifth in the European rankings for the season. If she maintains a top 12 ranking, she will automatically qualify for the semi-finals at the European Championships, giving her an advantage by reducing the number of races she needs to run. Mörö believes Uusimäki can shave off more time, potentially running under 53 seconds in the near future, and sees a medal as a realistic goal.

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Hilla has a very powerful stride for this event, and clearing the hurdles looks easy. Now the performance needs to be fine-tuned.