During the recent Finnish indoor championships held in Espoo, athletics expert Lauri Hollo voiced grave concerns regarding the performance of heptathlete Saga Vanninen. Competing in four events, Vanninen failed to achieve any notable results, with her best long jump measuring only 6.02 meters, significantly short of her usual performance level of around 6.5 meters. In shot put, she recorded a disappointing 14.67, which is alarming given that she had performed worse only once the previous year.

On Sunday, her high jump result was 1.68 meters, again falling short of her personal record of 1.81 meters. In the finals of the sprint hurdles, she finished last with a time of 8.53 seconds. Vanninen expressed her disappointment, stating that her goal was to be in better condition and emphasizing that she is not currently under heavy training load, which leaves her puzzled about her lack of performance. She maintained that her physical condition is fine, which adds to the mystery surrounding her results.

Hollo pointed out a significant change in Vanninen's training, as she is currently under the guidance of Estonian decathlon legend Erki Nool. In the early stages of their collaboration, the primary focus was heavily on improving Vanninen's running, which may have influenced her overall performance adversely. As Vanninen continues to struggle, the switch in coaching strategy and its implications on her results may warrant further examination within the athletics community, raising questions about the effectiveness of the new training methods against her specific strengths as a heptathlete.