Finnish sprinter Saara Keskitalo breaks two records in flat races

Saara Keskitalo, who recently set the Finnish national record in the 100m hurdles, showcased impressive speed on Monday in Nikkilä, Sipoo. Running without hurdles, Keskitalo shattered her personal bests in both the 100m and 200m sprints.

Her 100m time improved by a mere 0.01 seconds, reaching 11.63. However, the 200m saw a more substantial leap, with Keskitalo shaving off 0.39 seconds to set a new record of 23.86.

Coach Mikael Ylöstalo confirmed that these flat races were intentional training sessions for Keskitalo's primary discipline, hurdles. "They were good runs, records in both distances. One must be satisfied," Ylöstalo commented in a statement to the Finnish Athletics Federation. He expressed particular satisfaction with Keskitalo's 200m performance, noting, "I expected Saara to falter in the 200 meters, but she finished strong. Breaking 24 seconds was a minor surprise."

Keskitalo had previously claimed the 100m hurdles national record last week with a time of 12.64. Her next competition is scheduled for the Motonet GP in Kuortane during the Midsummer celebrations. "After that, there will be a short training break, unless our desired competition in Zagreb on June 26 materializes. It is proving very difficult to get into strong international competitions," Ylöstalo lamented.