Olympic silver medalist Matti Mattsson, 29, knows that you need to adapt as your career continues. That’s the key to a bet over the next two summer games. Twenty-year-olds probably train twice as much as me, says the swimmer to Yle.
It has already been ten years since Matti Mattsson struck with bronze in the long-course WC in Rome in the 200 meter breaststroke.
Since then, the 29-year-old’s career has had its ups and downs. The general public got to know him most recently in connection with the Olympics in Tokyo this year – his bronze was one of two Finnish medals in the games.
You don’t joke about an Olympic swimming success. Mattsson wants to experience similar things again – and therefore already announced last year that his career will continue over the next two summer games, i.e. until Los Angeles 2028.
Clear message from an athlete who turns 30 in October.
– Sometimes I wonder where my enthusiasm comes from. In training, I manage to push myself to achieve results. For some reason, I enjoy torturing myself, says the swimmer General Sports and laughs.
Pleased with the EC silver
The resident of Björne doesn’t need to be ashamed of his last year either. The year’s best 2.09.04 was his ninth best mark in his career.
In the long-course WC, he made it to the final for the second time in his career in the 200-meter breaststroke. In the final race he finished eighth.
Later in the year, he got to celebrate the noblest championship medal of his career, when he won silver in the long-course EC in Rome. The fact that eight times during his career he was faster than gold medalist James Wilby’s 2.08.96 was something that Mattsson did not put energy into.
He has perspective after many difficult years.
– I was looking for gold, but you have to be satisfied with EC silver. If this medal had come in, say, 2018, it would have felt like a mental lottery win.
WC in July
Has Mattsson then passed his best before date? Is he a veteran in the business already?
Everything is relative.
Last year’s dominant WC final winner Zac Stubbelty-Cook is six years younger. But for example, in the Olympics in Rio seven years ago, the American Anthony Ervin won gold in the 50-meter freestyle at the age of 35.
For Mattsson, the hunt for the super-tough Finnish record of 2.07.13 continues.
– You have to make wise decisions in training and always adjust the rhythm when necessary. The twenty-year-olds probably train twice as much as I do.
This year, the aim is the WC in Fukuoka, Japan in July. For the swimmer himself and coach Eetu Karvonen, the preparations are not about talking about performance goals.
– We don’t really talk about results at all. As the times develop in the training sessions, we understand that it should automatically go in the same direction in the competitions.
