The position of women in hockey at the Olympics has spoken a lot during the Beijing Olympics. Since being a women’s hockey player from Nagano in the 1998 Olympic program, Canada and the United States have played in the finals, with one exception. In Turin in 2006, Sweden wedged into the final, which was won by Canada.
Now in Beijing, Olympic gold was won by Canada, which beat the USA 3–2 in the final. Canada won the first round with a goal difference of 33–5 in four matches. The USA was second, with a goal difference of 20-6. In the women, the starting blocks are even divided by level, with the top five playing in block A, all of whom make it to the playoffs.
After the bronze match, Sport’s experts commented that the Finnish players have developed tactically and physically, but the sports skills have not progressed in the same way as other European teams.
The female lions took their third Olympic bronze, but in two US and one Canadian matches, Finland scored three goals, reaching 20. For example, a journalist Jussi Paasi wrote in his comment that the dominance of Canada and the United States is a torturous problem for women, and there are no challengers anywhere.
In Finland, investments in the women’s hockey national team over the past six months have been higher than before. This season, 31 female lions have received athlete grants from the Ministry of Education and Culture, for a total of more than 30 percent of the total winter grants.
The International Olympic Committee wants equality in the selection of Olympic sports, but the attitudes of the Finnish Hockey Federation or the International Hockey Federation IIHF do not support this, critics say. After the bronze match of the Lions of Women, Paasi criticizes that although the Lions of Women are the medal shampoo of the Winter Games, “everyday life in women’s sledding is often like the weather of the last few days in Southern Finland, sleet and water in turn”.
Harri Laiho wrote in turn in his comment in Ilta-Sanomat (you move to another service)that, from the IIHF ‘s point of view, women have been allowed to remain at the hobby level, and efforts to promote the sport have not been made. According to Laiho, the IIHF underscores the strong image of hockey as a world of boys and men.
Ismo Lehkonen: Far from an ideal situation – like in football years ago
Acting as an expert in Sports in Beijing Ismo Lehkonen signs the views but feels that there are solutions. However, they still require changes in attitudes.
Where are we going in Finland when it comes to valuing women’s hockey?
– Far from what the ideal situation is. I well remember the days when there was a bit of a situation in football on the women’s side like our hockey players at the moment. Activities were underestimated and underestimated, conditions and coaching were little for this and that. After a hard time, everyone started to accept that women can play football, Lehkonen says.
– Now we are still on the hockey side a bit in a situation where it is really acceptable when women or girls come to the ice rink and start practicing where the boys are. It all starts with a values debate.
Lehkonen sees that the very first thing to consider is what impression is given to girls and women who get excited about the sport. According to Lehkonen, a positive impression is often passed on to the next generations, but a negative attitude, contempt and even bullying can lead to girls and women not wanting to be involved in the puck – whether we are talking about players, guardians, spectators or sponsors.
– The negative spiral that is now does not help our species.
“Have Montreal’s hardcore fans moved behind the Female Lions?”
With a negative spiral, Lehkonen means, for example, the attitude towards the Female Lions, from what point of view the North American teams were challenged. To prepare for Beijing, the U.S. and Canada had set up professional teams that lived and practiced together and played against the boys ’teams for pay.
– In the middle of the Olympics and before the Games, there was quite a push from the media and fans. I began to think, “Not the Sámi, whether the Montreal hardcore fans have moved behind the Female Lions.” That bang was cruel. I know exactly exactly in what framework, in what number of games and against what kind of opponents our girl and female lions will have to play compared to the toughest opponents, Lehkonen says.
– The Canadian team has eight Montreal players, and Montreal women and girls train in the same conditions as the Montreal Canadiens (NHL club), compares Lehkonen.
How, then, is this possible? In both Finland and Canada, the value and importance of hockey is high.
– In Canada, it also grains on the side of women. They have understood for a long time, a long time ago, that hockey is a game for both women and men. Everyone has the right to play this game, Lehkonen answers.
And what should be prescribed as a medicine in Finland?
If we take a look at football, it has been done at the University of Jyväskylä master’s thesis (you move to another service) (Anni Väisänen, 2019), which compared the numbers of girls and women in Sweden and Finland and its background factors. In Finland, the number of enthusiasts is clearly lower than in Sweden, and the development has been later, but also in Finland “the number of enthusiasts increased, especially through the activities of women’s committees and various projects aimed at girls’ and women’s football”.
“All clubs really need to accept women’s and girls’ hockey”
Ismo Lehkonen reminds that currently the needs of men and boys in hockey are not the same as those of girls and women. On the women’s side, you should start with the basics.
– Primarily coaching. Then all the clubs really have to accept the women’s and girls ’puck where the boys do. We talk about practice shifts and coaching and player paths. Putting these on top of the widget will start to become more skilled and skilled players.
– Then there is a separate national team path. It has the biggest exercise of all. We know pretty much which of the top six fields are in the girls ’and women’s national teams. They need to be offered special coaching. Let’s start with the basics and needs of transport. The number one skating that our future women’s national team players skate the best in the world.
According to Lehkonen, the next thing will be disc handling and feeding skills. According to Lehkonen, the most important thing would be to increase the number of games through the camp.
– That’s where we lag far behind North Americans, in terms of annual game numbers.
Lehkonen announces that not everyone is caught up in money. What can be most decisive is the will.
– I meet a little bit in that ice rink with little girls and a little bigger ones who look bright-eyed and say, “I want to be new Susanna Tapani“. Well, what can I do? I can offer them coaching. It doesn’t cost me anything.
– It’s up to you. Pretty much in many families, the one who runs the “company” is a woman. The more we treat them better and give a positive boost, of course we need to understand that it will spawn more new factors in the species in the future. Keeping a positive push on and helping new female hockey players on the player path in the best way is Lehkonen’s wish.
The finalists are struck by the wonder of the difference in level – they emphasize the importance of sports federations
Captain of female lions, defender Jenni Hiirikoski, 34, was selected for the Beijing Olympics star field, for the third time in a row. The experienced lion captain has also been chosen several times as the best defender of the World Championships.
The female lions won bronze medals on the ice on Thursday after the U.S. and Canadian finals. In an interview with , Hiirikoski also had to answer the question of whether women’s hockey is part of the Olympic program.
– I think it sounds. An awful lot of work is being done behind these medals. At the moment, it must be said that Canada, for example, has done a very great job and raised its own level. All you have to do is raise your hat for how they’ve bet and got the team allied. Others also have to learn from them and get things done from there for their own doing.
Below is a video of the interview with Hiirikoski after the medals were awarded. The story continues after the video.
Captain of Canada Marie-Philip Poulin, 30, hit two hits in the Olympic finals. He became the only hockey player in the world to score in the four Olympic finals.
– The women’s puck is part of the competition. All teams have evolved. It is not easy to play here or win gold. We’re working hard on this, and we deserve to be here, Poulin said after the finals.
Poulin politely commented on the level difference between Finland and Canada.
– Everyone has moved on. We are, and we have worked for it. The support of national federations is essential. The Canadian Hockey Association concentrated us in Calgary for six months to practice full time.
US striker Hilary Knight32, was naturally disappointed after the final.
Knight, who won Olympic gold and as many as eight World Championship golds, said the emphasis in the Olympics is understandably on individual sports, but there is a place for women in hockey in the program.
– I hope the species continues to grow. Today in the US, our match was shown on NBC, which is awesome and our sport got new pairs of eyes. Hopefully, growth can continue outside the Olympics, Knight ponders.
In his opinion, it is strange to hear that others are dropping Finland out of the top fight, for example, because Finland offered strong resistance in the Olympic semifinals. In the 2019 World Championships in Espoo, Finland won Canada in the semi-finals and only lost to the USA in the final. Admittedly, at the time, the efforts of North Americans in preparation were of a different order than they were now before the Olympics.
If other countries want to catch up with the U.S. and Canada, Knight believes investment in operations and resources is essential to allow players to progress to their best level from the grassroots level.
Next time, the women will play in the championships in late summer. The World Championship medals will be awarded in Herning, Denmark and Frederikshavn, August 26-September 4.
Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin were interviewed by Mattias Simonssen.