Monday December 02, 2024

Mattsson brings 1st medal for Finland in Tokyo Olympics

Published : 29 Jul 2021, 11:50

DF Report

Third-placed Matti Mattsson of Finland competes during the men's 200m breaststroke final of swimming at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 29, 2021. Photo: Xinhua by Chen Jianli.

Finnish swimmer Matti Mattsson secured third place in the 200-metre breaststroke in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday morning and won the first medal for the country.

Mattsson took a time of 2:07.13 to win the bronze in the event where Izaac Stubblety-Cook of Australia won gold with a time 2:06.38 and Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands won silver with a time of 2:07.01.

The 27-year-old swimmer from Pori also set a new Finnish record for the 200-metre breaststroke.

It was Finland's first Olympic medal in swimming in 25 years.

"I sure gave it my all, there was nothing left to give. The last moments started to weigh on me but I was able to push through and sustain the strokes long until the end. This feels absolutely mad," reported national broadcaster Yle, quoting Mattson as saying while speaking to the press shortly after the event.