Athletics | Saara Keskitalo overtakes Lotta Harala: 'A spot in the EM final is realistic for both'

Finnish women's 100m hurdles is experiencing a highly competitive season, with both Saara Keskitalo and Lotta Harala in top form. Keskitalo, 25, shattered the Finnish national record on Thursday at the Lahti Grand Prix, clocking in at 12.64 seconds. This performance edged out Harala's 2024 record by a mere hundredth of a second, with Harala finishing third in the race.

Athletics expert Lauri Hollo believes Keskitalo's record-breaking run in Lahti was not her absolute best. "The start of the race still needs improvement, but the finish is currently very strong," Hollo commented. He analyzed that while Harala excels in the start and initial hurdles, Keskitalo gains an advantage in the latter stages of the race. Hollo noted that Harala's strength lies in her explosive start, whereas the more slender Keskitalo builds her speed throughout the race.

Despite Harala being 34, Hollo does not see age as a barrier to peak performance. He pointed out that Harala ran under 13 seconds last year before midsummer, and her current pace is two-tenths of a second faster. Hollo considers both athletes realistic contenders for a spot in the European Championships final, stating, "We are no longer talking about heats or semifinals, but we can realistically talk about a spot in the European final for both."

Keskitalo's new record places her fourth in the European rankings, while Harala was fifth last year. The current European leaders are Nadine Visser of the Netherlands (12.47), Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland (12.61), and Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland (12.62). Harala is currently ranked 10th in Europe with 12.78 seconds. Hollo also suggested that Nooralotta Neziri, 33, could potentially return to top form after knee surgery last fall, although she has faced significant health issues. Reetta Hurske, 31, faces concerns over recurring hamstring injuries that could become chronic, despite being a "terrific gun" in the 60m hurdles.

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