Vivi Lehikoinen’s fight for a full scholarship continues.
Hurdle runner Vivi Lehikoinen told Ilta-Sanoam that he plans to appeal the grant decision he received in the administrative court.
In the winter, the Ministry of Education and Culture did not give Lehikoinen the full sports grant of 20,000 euros, but he had to settle for half the amount.
The decision came as a surprise, as Lehikoinen had a season behind him in which he ran the 400 m straight SE and reached the final of the European Championships.
Lehikoinen and his manager-lawyer sister Inka Karkkinen made a detailed 25-page request for a rectification of OKM’s decision.
Ilta-Sanomat previously wrote about the Correction Request and has familiarized itself with its contents.
Read more: Vivi Lehikoinen disappointed by grant decision – presents cold facts in her claim for reform
– OKM made a negative decision. The appeal process is still on. We continue in the administrative court. The appeal is still being worked out, Lehikoinen says now.
The case of ringette player Susana Tapani has also been in the limelight. Like Lehikoinen, Tapani received a half scholarship for hockey. However, he decided not to play hockey.
Lehikoinen says he doesn’t want to compare his situation to others.
– I don’t think about what others get. Appeal is more about norms and principle. I am not interested in why I get less and someone else more, but that the standards are the same for everyone.
Read more: Susanna Tapan makes tough decision – could cost her €10,000
21 athletes received a full grant of 20,000 euros for the Summer Games, 13 of whom were track and field athletes. In Lehikoinen’s correction request, it was stated that not all recipients of the 20,000-euro grant met the criteria of an “internationally established establishment” mentioned in the ministry’s application notice.
True to the words of his claim, Lehikoinen has shown that his level has set himself at a high level. In addition to his achievements in the EC, he reached the semi-finals of the World Championships in SE time, was the fourth best Finn in the International Athletics Federation (WA) performance points in the 2022 season, and has pressed down the results of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris three times. Limit. However, the results don’t really matter yet, as the range hunt won’t start until next July.
Scholarships are distributed according to the presentation of specific sports units of the Olympic Committee. According to Lehikoinen’s claim of reform, HUY’s preparation was severely lacking.
Amidst the uproar, Lehikoinen’s preparations for the new season have gone very well. He has camped abroad for a total of seven weeks with his Swiss coach Laurent Meuli’s training team.
– The biggest change was made in the spring. Lehikoinen says that fencing training has been extended compared to before.
Lehikoinen says he will not be looking to compete in Finland this summer. Only the Paavo Nurmi Games and Kalevan Kiset in Turku are ahead. Otherwise he competes abroad. Lehikoinen says he’s looking forward to competing in some Diamond League events as well.
