Matti Mattson squashed his Finnish National Record to win bronze in 200 breaststroke with a period of 2:07.13 on Thursday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This was Finland’s first Olympic swimming decoration in quite a while.
“Hardly any realize the profound waters I’ve endured to arrive at this point,” Mattson revealed to Finnish media source Yle Sport. “I have attempted a wide range of things and been sent home many occasions after the first adjusts, yet presently we at last made it right to the decorations. I was unable to be any more joyful.”
Finland’s last Olympic swimming award was in 1996 when Jani Sievinen won silver in the men’s 200 IM.
27-year-old Mattson broke this record twice in two days. Going into this meet, the National Record was set at 2:08.26 from his presentation at the new European Championships. In the elimination rounds, on Tuesday he swam a 2:08.22.
Mattson is the primary Finnish man to at any point break 1:00.00 in the 100 meter bosom. He claims that National Record, which he set at 59.99 at the new European Championships, close by the 200 breaststroke.
In a similar race, the Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga won silver in 200 breaststroke, .16 off his Dutch National Record. Kamminga has now cleared silver in both breaststroke occasions.
On the ladies’ side, 16-year-old Evgeniia Chikunova put second in 200 breaststroke elimination rounds, inside 1.16 of Yuliya Efimova’s Russian National Record
In a similar race, Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri won silver with a period of 7:42.11, around 3 seconds off his National Record.
Mykhailo Romanchuk won Ukraine’s first award by asserting bronze in the 800 free (7:42.33), about a second off his National Record from prelims.
The men’s 800 free-form last was an European-ruled race with Europeans asserting second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh spot.