University of Minnesota Athletics
Newest Gopher Named to Team Finland
1/20/2022 12:29:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Nelli Laitinen, the newest member of the 2022-23 signing class, becomes the third player in program history to represent Finland in the Olympics.
MINNEAPOLIS – Nelli Laitinen, the newest signee in the program's 2022-23 freshmen class, will represent Team Finland at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China next month.
The left-handed defender from Lohja, Finland becomes the third Finnish Olympian in program history after Noora Räty (2010, 2018) and Mira Jalosuo (2018), who both earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Prior to these games, 14 Gophers have competed in the Winter Olympic Games, making 28 Olympic appearances for two different countries. 12 Gophers have represented the U.S. in the Olympics, and two Finnish Gophers. Minnesota is currently slated to have tournament-best nine representatives at these Olympic Games.
Even though this is Laitinen's first Olympic Games, she is no stranger to the international scene. Laitinen has represented Team Finland in multiple women's world championships and took home Silver at the 2019 Women's World Championships at her home arena in Espoo. At the most recent women's world tournament, Laitinen guided Team Finland to a Bronze. As captain for Team Finland during the U18 women's world championships, Laitinen took home Bronze in 2019 and was named the tournament's best defender in 2020.
The Finland Women's Olympic Team has participated in every Winter Olympic Games since the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament in 1998. Finland took home Bronze at that tournament in Nagano and two other times, in Vancouver in 2010 and Pyeongchang in 2018.
Team Finland will be competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games from Feb. 3-17, 2022 with 11 other countries. Team Finland is competing in Group A alongside Canada, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States and will open the competition Thursday, Feb. 3 against the U.S.
The left-handed defender from Lohja, Finland becomes the third Finnish Olympian in program history after Noora Räty (2010, 2018) and Mira Jalosuo (2018), who both earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Prior to these games, 14 Gophers have competed in the Winter Olympic Games, making 28 Olympic appearances for two different countries. 12 Gophers have represented the U.S. in the Olympics, and two Finnish Gophers. Minnesota is currently slated to have tournament-best nine representatives at these Olympic Games.
Even though this is Laitinen's first Olympic Games, she is no stranger to the international scene. Laitinen has represented Team Finland in multiple women's world championships and took home Silver at the 2019 Women's World Championships at her home arena in Espoo. At the most recent women's world tournament, Laitinen guided Team Finland to a Bronze. As captain for Team Finland during the U18 women's world championships, Laitinen took home Bronze in 2019 and was named the tournament's best defender in 2020.
The Finland Women's Olympic Team has participated in every Winter Olympic Games since the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament in 1998. Finland took home Bronze at that tournament in Nagano and two other times, in Vancouver in 2010 and Pyeongchang in 2018.
Team Finland will be competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games from Feb. 3-17, 2022 with 11 other countries. Team Finland is competing in Group A alongside Canada, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States and will open the competition Thursday, Feb. 3 against the U.S.
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