Harri Nummela, chairman of the Hockey Federation, says the players in the men’s Olympic team were asked about what happened in Beijing again on Friday when the incident went public.
Joska Saarinen,
STT Sports
On Friday, STT reported that the alleged inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment of the Goat River under investigation by Suek targeted the players of the Finnish men’s hockey national team at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
– The players in this case have not seen that any process should be started. However, the Hockey Association thinks it is good that the matter is being investigated. By no means do the Hockey Association and the players downplay this, Chairman Nummela told BTI on Saturday.
Who, then, has reported the alleged harassment of the Goat River?
– I don’t know exactly how it went. The Olympic Committee knows the process, Nummela replied.
Nummela said that the Hockey Association had already heard about the suspicions about the Goat River before Friday and was in contact with the players of the Olympic team at that time.
– We had heard rumors before and there were discussions with the players at that point. It was sometime after the Olympics, Nummela said.
“Gaining clarity and delimitation”
On Friday night, the Hockey Association released a bulletin stating that Olympic team hockey players had not experienced being subjected to inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment in Beijing.
– Yesterday we approached the players again, and we asked again what the situation was. When the matter came to light, we wanted to react, and we shared the players ’opinion with the public. The crux of our bulletin was that players would not experience any harassment happening. As stated in the press release, the Hockey Association does not condone abuse or sexual harassment, and on that basis I fully understand that the Olympic Committee has wanted to investigate the matter through Suek. This will provide clarity and the necessary demarcation, Nummela explained on Saturday.
Who from the Hockey Association was in contact with the Olympic team players?
– Our well-functioning organization took care of it, the well-functioning management and the management of the A-national team. Relevant people have reported to me, Nummela said.
President Nummela added that if the discussions with the players had been justified, the Hockey Association would have already initiated the necessary wider settlement processes with Suek and the Olympic Committee.
Goat River said on Friday that it will not continue on the board of the Olympic Committee.
This is known from the case
Anni Vuohijoki, a weightlifter and an athlete on the board of the Olympic Committee, came to the public on Friday with an open letter addressed to the Finnish sports nation.
Goat River announced that it had received an email on March 28, 2022 stating that he was suspected of sexual harassment. That suspicion is linked to the Beijing Olympics, in which the Goat River was involved because of his board duties on the Olympic Committee. The Beijing Olympics were held in February this year.
Suek announced Friday afternoon that it would launch an investigation into a “possible serious ethical violation during the Beijing Olympics.” According to Suek, the matter has been brought to the attention of both the Olympic Committee and Anni Vuohijoki.
Chairman of the Olympic Committee Jan Vapaavuori has so far issued only one statement to the media on the case.
– It is true that I have been suspected that Anni Vuohijoki has committed inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment. Based on this, I have had a conversation with Anni Vuohijoki. The Olympic Committee has referred the matter to Suek, Vapaavuori said.