Finnish Olympic Committee sets stiff medals target for Vancouver

First batch of athletes named in good time

print this

Finland's team for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next year will be charged with a stiff task: they are expected to bring home a haul of 12 medals from the games, with at least one of them being of the golden kind.
      The Finnish Olympic Committee announced its ambitious target on Wednesday in connection with the naming of the first eleven athletes to represent the country at the games next February.
     
The experiences gained from Beijing, where those athleties who had been named well in advance proved to be the most productive in terms of medal-winning performances, has encouraged a repeat process.
      A number of athletes have therefore been selected in advance on the strength of their old merits, and will thus not have to fret every time they compete during the winter over whether their efforts are good enough to satisfy the powers-that-be.
     
In Torino three years ago, Finland secured nine medals in all, but none of them were gold (six silver, three bronze).
      It was a close call, as for instance the men's ice hockey team were unbeaten in the tournament until the final.
     
The athletes selected are as follows:
      Speed Skating - Pekka Koskela and Mika Poutala.
      Alpine Skiing: Tanja Poutiainen.
      Nordic Skiing: Matti Heikkinen, Sami Jauhojärvi, Virpi Kuitunen, Pirjo Muranen, Riitta-Liisa Roponen, and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen.
      Biathlon: Kaisa Mäkäräinen.
      Freestyle Skiing: Tapio Luusua.
     
One name that was conspicuous by its absence was that of Anssi Koivuranta, who clinched the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup title last season and was arguably the best in the world at his discipline.
      There is no suggestion that Koivuranta's place in the team is somehow in doubt, but the reason is that the FOC stuck firmly to the principle that it would stamp athletes' games passports only after recommendations from the individual sports associations.
      Kimmo Savolainen, head coach of the Nordic Combined team, said that they have a young squad and would prefer to preserve a spirit of healthy competition.
     
Another name not present as yet is Laura Lepistö, who won the women's event at the European Figure Skating Championships earlier this year.
      As it happens, the next European Championships in the sport will be held before the Olympics, and Lepistö will then be competing for two allotted Finnish places in Vancouver with three other skaters, in the shape of Kiira Korpi, Susanna Pöykiö, and Jenni Vähämaa.
     
Of those listed so far, Tanja Poutiainen took a silver medal from Torino in the women's giant slalom, while the pairing of Virpi Kuitunen and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen took bronze in the women's team sprint event.
      Saarinen's performances at the FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships in Liberec in February - where she secured three gold medals - will have probably put her among the favourites to bring home some hardware from Vancouver.
      A fully-fit Pekka Koskela also has the wherewithal to be a serious contender for a medal in the 500 metre or 1,000 metre speed skating.


Links:
  Finnish Olympic Committee

Helsingin Sanomat