Weightlifter Anni Vuohijoki was chosen to represent Team Finland in the Rio Olympic Games. A country spot opened for Finland after Russian, Belarusian and Kazakhstanian athletes were closed out from the Olympics due to several doping violations. Vuohijoki was the best Finnish female lifter in the European Weightlifting Championships placing eighth in the competition.
Vuohijoki has a strong athletic background, starting from primary school. She used to focus on track and field and played soccer on the side. Vuohijoki says she still plays soccer as “soul therapy”. The transfer from track and field to weightlifting happened at the age of 19.
"In the regional track and field training camps I always made the best strength results and training with weights was always the most pleasant part for me. The transfer to power- and weightlifting was quite natural after all."
Perserevance helps in training
The first weightlifting competition experiences Vuohijoki gained in Finland’s student nationals in 2011. Vuohijoki had already competed in powerlifting for a few years winning two European championships and one bronze medal in World championships.
"Weightlifting felt like a good challenge. I have always trusted in weightlifting programming in my training and it was strongly present in my powerlifting career."
Weightlifting movements, snatch and clean and jerk, are very demanding both physically and technically. Weightlifting takes power, pace and mobility. Vuohijoki’s physical capabilities have always been on a good level thanks to track and field and powerlifting, but she says that discipline and determinacy are major players in training.
"Weightlifting movements are technically very difficult, hence a lot of time is required to be spent in the technical parts of the training."
Sight already in Tokyo
During the last two years Vuohijoki has added CrossFit into her training program. First she did CrossFit only during the summers but in 2016 it became a permanent part of her training program. CrossFit is a diverse and high-intensity training method, which was initially used by police officers, firefighters, soldiers and athletes. CrossFit combines weightlifting, gymnastics and aerobic training like running and rowing. With CrossFit workouts Vuohijoki aims to develop her power endurance and the stability of the upper body.
"CrossFit helps me to use the power of my upper body. Often in training I take my feet out by fatiguing them first. CrossFit does not stress the nerve system as weightlifting but the fatigue is in the muscles. The workout sessions are shorter in duration and demand different kind of persistence than weightlifting. In addition to weightlifting and CrossFit training I also run, do gymnastics and track and field."
Vuohijoki’s second trainer, Antti Akonniemi, says that Vuohijoki has taken major steps in the power generation of her upper body. For instance, Vuohijoki’s record in hand stand push ups has leaped from four to 15 and similar development can be seen in pull ups. The development has transferred efficiently into weightlifting as Vuohijoki has broken many of her personal records in the preparatory training for the Rio Olympic Games.
Vuohijoki’s future goals are clear:
"Tokyo Olympics in 2020, a medal in the European Championships and being in the top 15 in the world ranking, the athlete lists."
Anni Vuohijoki competes in women’s weightlifting 63kg the 9th of August starting at 16.00 (East European Summer Time).
