Blomqvist to compete in women’s 5,000-meter heats in Paris as coach watches from Kokkola

Nathalie Blomqvist, a 23-year-old athlete representing IK Falken from Pedersöre, will compete in the women’s 5,000-meter heats in Paris on Friday evening at approximately 7:10 PM. Her coach, Tom Andtbacka, will watch from his home in Kokkola, as he did not receive accreditation for the Olympics. Andtbacka implies that the decision was made by the Olympic Committee but doesn’t wish to lodge a complaint.

The head of Finland’s Olympic Committee’s elite sports unit, Leena Paavolainen, stated that Finland’s accreditation quota for Paris is limited, determined by the size of the team rather than sport specifics. Several coaches accepted a so-called B accreditation that permits access to training venues and the athletes’ village. Andtbacka mentioned he was not offered such an accreditation.

Blomqvist is reportedly in peak shape, having trained at high altitudes in the mountains for weeks before arriving in Paris. Encouraging test results have been recorded leading up to the Olympics, and expectations are high for her performance on Monday when the final will occur at 10:10 PM.

Blomqvist achieved significant success earlier this year at the Kalevan Kiso, securing a solo victory. Notably, she improved her personal best time in the 5,000 meters by 45 seconds over the season, setting a Finnish record of 14:44.72 at the European Championships in Rome.

With the seventh-fastest qualifying time in her heat, Blomqvist aims to advance, with the top eight progressing. Andtbacka approaches this with caution, reminding that while athletes can’t control others’ performances, they must focus on their own.