The XXI Winter Olympics commence this Friday in Vancouver, with more than 80 nations taking part.

This year, there are newcomers both in terms of disciplines and participating countries. Ski-cross will debut as a new event while the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ghana, Pakistan and Peru will send their first competitors to the Winter Olympics. The overall medal standings are likely to be dominated by more traditional winter sports countries, such as Germany, Russia, Norway, United States and the hosts Canada. One thing is sure: Canadian fans will embrace their first Olympic Champion in Vancouver with much adoration. Montreal 1976 and Calgary 1988 produced no gold medals for the home team, so the athlete who breaks the curse will definitely become a national hero.

The Finnish Olympic team consists of 95 athletes. The official goal is 12 medals, which is a hard target due to the numerous injuries that the Finnish medal hopefuls have suffered this season.

Finnish hopes

For ice hockey fans, the tournament is certainly a long-awaited event. With no World Cup held after the Turin Games, four years have passed since all of the best players in the world have represented their home countries. Cross-country skiing, ski-jumping and Nordic combined are sports to which Finns have traditionally clung to in the medal hunt and which draw the biggest television crowds after ice hockey. In cross-country skiing Aino-Kaisa Saarinen won three gold medals at last year’s World Championships and is expected to stand on the podium in Vancouver. Matti Heikkinen and Sami Jauhojärvi can end the medal drought for Finnish male skiers, who are without an Olympic medal this century.

The ski jumping and Nordic combined teams are led by veterans Janne Ahonen and Hannu Manninen, both of whom decided to return to compete for that elusive individual Olympic medal. Last year’s World Cup Champion Anssi Koivuranta is another formidable contender in the Nordic combined while Harri Olli’s comments and actions will gather the usual media attention in the ski jumping.

In Alpine skiing, Finland’s hopes have been dealt a blow by troublesome injuries. Former slalom world champion Kalle Palander is out while Markus Sandell will be in Vancouver but with only one kidney as the result of a crash earlier in the season. Among the women, Tanja Poutiainen carries strong medal hopes in slalom and giant slalom, while Sanni Leinonen offers solid back-up in both events.

Skating comeback?

Finland’s first six gold medals at Winter Olympics came in speed skating in 1924 and 1928. Since then, Finland’s dominance has waned and speed skating is not considered a major sport in the country. However, in recent years a new generation of skaters has excelled and now there could be chance for an Olympic medal, especially for Mika Poutala, who is also known as a rap artist. Former 1000 m world record holder Pekka Koskela is another Finnish favourite, but his current form is in doubt because of injuries. In figure skating, Laura Lepistö and Kiira Korpi will contend for a place in the top 8, but a medal seems out of reach.

Freestyle skiing and snowboarding have also been closely followed in Finland since Nagano 1998, and together they have accounted for five medals. This year, more hopes are laid on snowboarding talents, with Peetu Piiroinen considered to be our leading athlete.

MANU PAAVOLA