Mattila breaks 2-minute barrier in 800m in Tampere

Finnish runner Veera Mattila achieved a significant personal milestone on Sunday in Tampere, breaking the two-minute mark in the 800 meters with a time of 1:59.95. This performance marks a triumphant return after a challenging period of mysterious health issues that plagued her for three years.

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It was hard when there was no explanation. I blamed myself terribly for those problems.

Mattila, who won a U23 European Championship silver medal three years ago, faced debilitating respiratory problems that forced her to abandon key competitions. The lack of a clear diagnosis led to intense self-blame, a mental struggle she has been working through with sports psychology.

"It was hard when there was no explanation. I blamed myself terribly for those problems," Mattila said. She suspects a past chlamydia infection may have affected her oxygen intake, but acknowledges she couldn't control it.

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It was hard when there was no explanation. I blamed myself terribly for those problems.

Despite the setbacks, Mattila's training remained consistent. The respiratory issues only surfaced during races, allowing her to build a strong training base in the fall. Her recent success is attributed to simply staying healthy and her dedicated training.

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I blame myself terribly for those problems.

While Mattila expressed slight disappointment at narrowly missing the European Championship qualifying standard of 1:59.80, she acknowledged the significance of breaking the two-minute barrier. She now has her sights set on defending her European title and potentially challenging Sara Lappalainen's Finnish national record of 1:59.41.

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I blame myself terribly for those problems.