Finns follow their Winter Olympic athletes with keen interest, both on and off the competition circuit. We introduce you to a few of our favourites.
The 2010 Finnish Olympic team mixes old-timers hoping their years of practice have honed their muscles into instruments of speed and precision with young newcomers making their eager debuts under the Olympic rings. Spectators and avid fans in Finland will stay up into the wee hours to watch their favourites battle it out in Vancouver.
Actions speak louder than words, so regardless of hype and medal expectations, each race and performance will show what Finns are made of. Below are a handful of competitors to keep an eye on:
Fighting Finns
Janne Ahonen, ski jumping
For this comeback conqueror, the one personal medal missing from his impressive list of successes has Olympic rings engraved on it. Considered one of the best ski jumpers of all time, he holds the record for the most points in the World Cup. Curiously, he also drag races.
Hannu Manninen, Nordic combined skiing
Like Janne, Hannu is an old-timer returned from early retirement and is still hunting for a personal Olympic medal. During his career from 1996 to 2008 and 2009 to 2010, he has been on the podium 88 times. He’s also completing his commercial pilot’s license.
Harri Olli, ski jumping
Harri most often finds himself in the media due to his personal life, but he came seemingly out of nowhere in 2007 to take a silver medal in the World Championships in Sapporo. With three World Cup wins, he is now making his Olympic debut.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, cross-country skiing
"Aikku", as this temperamental competitor is known, is a medal favourite and Finland’s Athlete of the Year 2009. Dreaming of an Olympic medal since the age of six, Aikku is defined by her fight against her greatest enemy, defeat – not to mention the other top Finn in her sport, Virpi Kuitunen.
Jarkko Ruutu, hockey
With a whole slew of famous names on the roster in Vancouver, Jarkko is one of many stars. This Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Finnish hockey is sure to rile up antagonists and provide strength as a power forward. He was voted into the Hockey News all-star team of the decade and is having a good NHL season with the Ottawa Senators. His brother Tuomo is also on the Olympic team roster.
Peetu Piiroinen, snowboarding
Double corks are on the performance list for this champion of the 2009 TTR World Snowboard tour. Peetu’s strength comes from the ability to ride anything with ease – the pipe, slopestyle and rails. These are his first Olympic games.
Laura Lepistö, figure skating
This tiny ice princess has stood on all three levels of the medals podium at the European Figure Skating Championships in the last three years. Competing in her first Olympics, she’s confident in her programs and aims at improving her personal best.
Juha Haukkala, ski cross
A transfer from the alpine circuit, Juha is in top condition for the challenging course of jumps, turns, moguls and banks that comprise the ski cross track. The sport is in the Olympics for the first time. In "real" life, Juha is a nurse.
Mika Poutala, speed skating
Mika has been speed skating since the age of seven and made his Olympic debut in 2006. His forté is the 500-metre sprint, with a record speed only 0.28 seconds from the WR. He is also a rapper who goes by the artist name of Plastic.
Kaisa Mäkäräinen, biathlon
In 2003, this smiling Finn made the jump from cross-country to biathlon and has been climbing the ranking charts, taking two gold medals last year in the World Cup competition in Antholz. Her overall ranking in the World Championships last year was fourth.
Tanja Poutiainen, alpine skiing
With a silver medal in the Giant Slalom from the 2006 Olympics in Turin, and World Cup medals since then, Tanja is back to show what she can do. Positive and ready to achieve her goals, this Laplander belongs to the Santa Claus Ski Club.
