For Finnish women’s national team players Emma Laaksonen and Karoliina Rantamäki, participating in tournaments prior to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is important to gain experience.

Although both are expected to be on the roster for the Vancouver Olympics, everybody still has to practice hard to make the team, and to be in good shape.

Emma Laaksonen, Finland’s captain, first touched the ice as a figure skater when she was young, but soon she started to play hockey regularly with her brother and his friends.

After her youth in Finland, she went to the United States to study business and play hockey at the University of Minnesota. She had also a year as a professional player in Russia but has since returned to her native country.

In Finland, Laaksonen has a day-to-day job and plays for the Espoo Blues, most recently last weekend in the European Women’s Champions Cup. To her, there’s nothing special about what she’s doing.

“I don’t know how to describe being a female hockey player. When you’ve done it for so long, it would be difficult to be without. It’s something that I love doing,” she said.

Although hockey is Emma’s main passion in life, she also enjoys downhill and telemark skiing. And she would also like to have a family one day.

But now she’s looking forward to the big challenge this winter. “The Olympics, it’s a really big event and it’s a unique opportunity for our sport to attract more attention. That’s also a big goal,” Laaksonen said. “Hopefully we are going to play the best games we’ve ever played and also to get some victories.”

For her it’s difficult to say if the situation on the top of women’s hockey will be more equal compared to the past domination by the North Americans. “All countries have moved forward, but the USA and Canada are not standing still,” she said.

While Laaksonen has returned home, Karoliina Rantamäki is still playing in Russia. She’s currently in her third season with SKIF Nizhny Novgorod, last year’s European club champion.

The forward was eight when she joined her first hockey club. She also started to play hockey with the boys in her neighbourhood, and football during the summer months.

Rantamäki loves doing things she loves – and that’s what she’s doing as a professional player in Russia.

“I had the possibility to do what I am passionate about and get some kind of a compensation for it, and that’s what made it so appealing,” Rantamäki said.

Meanwhile, she has improved her language skills and being in Russia has become part of her long-term plans. After her hockey career she wants to become a coach or to start her own business in Russia.

Talking about Vancouver, she already has the first game in her mind as she will play against some of her colleagues when wearing the Finland sweater against Russia. “That’s what we’re focussing on: winning against Russia,” she said.

The  Finns are the underdogs against Team USA, while China is the underdog against Finland, making the first game against Russia a key to the qualification to the semi-finals.

Since women’s ice hockey became and Olympic sport, the status has improved. “The speed and skill level has increased in all countries, we are real athletes now,” she said.

Finland has won one medal at the Olympics and nine at World Women’s Championships – always the bronze. Winning a medal will also be the Finns’ goal in Vancouver.

Laaksonen and Rantamäki are hopeful about the future of women’s hockey, although they believe that players in all countries need to have more possibilities to play and to have the opportunity to practise every day.

These women know what they’re talking about. Both have played in the Olympics before, so participating at the 2010 Olympics won’t be a new experience for them. Being able to participate in the Olympics not only once but several times is definitely a great achievement for an athlete. A real athlete.

HANNA OLKINUORA, LIA SMAGIN