Niina Jumppanen
What happened to me in MWW (140-180 lbs) serie.

My morning weight had been just few pounds under maximum limit. So missing Wednesday evening last flight to Columbus and 2 hours night sleep in Chicago, straight from aerport to the weight in was not so bad. I made myself 2 puonds under limit. Bad thing was only lack of sleeping.
Thursday evening we went together with other Finnish competitors and my coach WSM Janne Virtanen to the rules meeting. I felt good, these things I had been done several times in many years. Dumbells and yokes looked good. In MWW were totally 15 strong women all over the world.

In Friday morning I felt good. Too good? My legs hadn’t felt so light, fast and strong for many months. I tought I finally knew what I need to eat and do before competition.
Competition started 9 am. First event dumbell press was ok, actually it was easier than I tought. The weight supposed to be 45kilos, but it felt like 35kilos. It needed to do reps as fast as possible. I had trained to do my maximum 45kilos.. I made 6 reps, I wasn’t the last one. But better events were coming.
Yoke went as well as I could do. I knew that I cannot be the fastest, but I was little better than I had tought.

Farmers 2 x 86kilos. This I have been done over ten years. I got good start and I was leading my group. But 5 meters before line, my hand slipped out of handels. I picked farmers quicly and those dropped again out of my hands in end line and I got 2 seconds penalty about slipping. Sad so sad! Even that I f###d it, I was 5th in farmers. There were only 3 points to finals, my gold.

I love deadlift. Lucky me that was last event. We got 60 seconds time limit 2 reps with 170kg bar and as many as possible reps with 170 axelbar. I guess I was only lady who did reps wit axel without straps. I had made 5 reps with axel and had 20 seconds time left. I picked axel again and it started to feel heavy. I looked the referee Egil Berli-Johnsen and tried to turn my shoulders back and the same time I felt how the fatbar were slipping out of my hands. OMG! I had no time to try again. I was little disappointed to myself, no one else. I had not head advises what Janne jelled to me.

After this long day and four events I was very tired. I even missed the Arnold who were visiting in the hall are. Finally we got scores. I came 5th! Only 1,5 points from top four finals. I felt so sad. It was too close. I wish I didn’t make those stupid mistakes. But those were my mistakes. Even that I have maybe world best coach, lovely sponsors who gave me opportunity to train well and supported me with this long competition trip, I failed. Thank you all. But I got good memories again and as a matter of fact, there were more girls behind me than forward.

// Niina