Kanervo repeated as Finnish champion in the 110 m hurdles in 2013; he represented Finland in that event at the European U23 Championships in Tampere, but was eliminated in the heats. After the 2013 season Kanervo became a student at South Carolina University, coached by Curtis Frye. He took up the 400 m hurdles again in 2014, running 51.52 in his first race over the senior (91.4 cm) hurdles; the time broke Ossi Mildh's HIFK club record from 1954 and was the fastest ever debut by a Finn. He won his third consecutive Finnish championship title in the 110 m hurdles that year, but his times in that event had stagnated and the 400 m hurdles became his main event; at the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich he competed only in the 400 m hurdles, setting a personal best 50.35 in the heats but withdrawing from the semi-finals due to an injury.