Divided household. The Czech record holder is rooting for the Finns, her son will be bribed by the family

She herself was born in Seinajöki and has a Finnish father, she has a perfect command of the language, she even became a national record holder in her native country. But she decided to represent the Czech Republic, where she lives and where she already holds four national records – at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 meters.

But when it comes to hockey, it’s no secret that her heart belongs to the Suomi national team. “I’ll be rooting for them,” he nods. Not that she was a die-hard hockey fan. “When I miss a match, my world is not on fire, but I enjoy watching,” she assures.

Her partner, also a Czech record holder, Filip Sasínek will be cheering on his own. “So it’s a fight when they’re rooting for someone else, that makes it more interesting,” he smiles. In addition, the parents of the 32-year-old runner, whose preferences are similarly divided, should also arrive on Friday.

“Of course, dad is a fan of Finland, and mom has a role like Filip’s for me. But it’s more fun,” he says. Kaapo’s three-year-old son can thus prevail on one side of the balance of power. “He will support the one where he can be bribed more,” reports Sasínek Mäki. What is the most efficient currency? “They run trains, everything from Paw Patrol, lollipops. It’s not difficult, it’s quite marketable,” he smiles.

It is certain that she would not celebrate a possible Finnish success for long, but on Saturday she will start in the eight-legged extra-league at Juliska in Prague. After a test kilometer at a meeting in Germany, the first sharper race after the missed indoor season due to inflammation in the achilles. He apparently had a non-traditional origin – in moving.

Mäki was already suffering from achilles last year. She got the tendon together and after preparation she was getting ready for the first start under the roof in Luxembourg. “However, we moved in January, and I handed over the apartment before the first race,” she describes. Her husband was unwell that day, so most of the moving activities fell to her.

“I was pulling quite heavy things and I think I blew out my achilles. On Friday, after training, I knew I wouldn’t go to the race, there must have been a mistake,” she suspects. She took two weeks off, then started again on a light treadmill. “Three weeks without running is not as bad physically as it is mentally. Even in the Olympic season, when you have it planned,” she admitted.

“Usually you don’t feel the injury when you walk, but you do when you run. And when you feel it even while walking, it’s really creepy. But in the end it wasn’t so terrible to jump into it,” he reports with relief. She completed the training alongside her long-time friend and also her mother Diana Mezuliáníková, she caught the season right from the start.

And there is no room to save money in it. “Because of the ranking. Or it would be possible if I ran a sharp limit,” she looks forward to the time of 4:02.50, which she has so far beaten only in the memorable Olympic semi-final in Tokyo three years ago. Her first attempt awaits her on May 18 at a meeting in Chořov, and she will be shown to domestic viewers ten days later at Zlatá tretra in Ostrava.