ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Nordic fans take centre stage as Sweden battle it out with Finland in the ice hockey finals at the Winter Olympics

Record ID: 331828

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Nordic fans take centre stage as Sweden battle it out with Finland in the ice hockey finals at the Winter Olympics
  • Date: 26th February 2006
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 26,2006) (REUTERS) OLYMPIC ON TOP OF TOWER PAVILLIONS, ENTRANCE TO HOCKEY STADIUM SWEDISH FANS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH FAN JORGEN ASKED WHO IS GOING TO WIN, SAYING: "Sweden..." (QUESTION: Why you are going to beat Finland?): "Because we are a better team (QUESTION: Why?): "We have (Mats) Sundin and (Peter) Forsberg, you have old people like (Teemu) Selanne." SWEDISH FAN JORGEN WALKS AWAY FINNISH FANS GETTING INSIDE VENUE, WAVING FLAGS 7 (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH FAN KEIKI ROTKO SAYING: "Hell, yes, they (Finns) are going to get gold easily. The Swedish are going home on their backs to the countryside where they come from." VARIOUS OF SWEDISH GROUP, INCLUDING CHILDREN, CHEERING AND WAVING FLAGS FINNS WALKING TO ENTRANCE SWEDISH WALKING IN FINN FAN WEARING BLUE BIG, SWEDISH FANS IN FANCY DRESSES OLYMPIC FLAME ON TOWER VIEW OF ENTRANCE FINNS WALKING TO VENUE SWEDISH FANS WALKING TO VENUE VIEW OF HOCKEY STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 13th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAD3X3JJQ2ZE600DSTG5IEU2Y8G
  • Story Text: The last two medals in Turin will be awarded later on Sunday (February 26) when Sweden battle it out with Finland in the most unexpected of ice hockey finals.
    The all-Nordic showdown may not have the panache of some other classic Olympic finals but it certainly has the passion.
    Fans in fancy dresses and carrying the flags of their countries started arriving at hockey venue for the final, earlier in the day.
    Swedish fan Jorgen was convinced his team was going to prevail. "We are a better team. We have (Mats) Sundin and (Peter) Forsberg, you have old people like (Teemu) Selanne," he said.
    Sunday's all-Nordic final is an affair that few expected, as defending gold medallists Canada and the runner-ups from 2002, the United States, both got bounced from the tournament.
    Finland have waltzed through the bracket unbeaten in seven games, a feat few could have foreseen after their top two goaltenders sat out the tournament.
    The 25-year-old Antero Niittymaki, a seldom-used netminder with the Philadelphia Flyers, has come up big, complementing a disciplined style of hockey molded around Anaheim Mighty Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne.
    Finnish fan Heiki Rotko was confident of a good result against their Nordic rivals. "Hell, yes, they (Finns) are going to get gold easily. The Swedish are going home on their backs to the countryside where they come from."
    While Finland's hockey team are unbeaten in Turin, Sweden are 5-2 and appearing in the final for the first time since winning their only Olympic title at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games.
    The political rivalry between the two nations runs deep, as does their devotion to hockey.
    The television ratings will probably not rival some of the other top Olympic hockey finals but that will not mean a thing to the players or the rabid fans in Sweden or Finland.
    The hockey match is just one of two gold medals to be awarded on Sunday, the final day of the Turin Winter Games. The men's 50-km cross-country skiing race will also be contested, a two-hour test of endurance in the Italian Alps.
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