The significance of Kiira Korpi's Finlandia Trophy win

I haven't gotten around to addressing the pertinent part of the article Kiira Korvelle SM-kultaa!

Well, if your understanding of Finnish is as lacking as mine, then that headline is a puzzler to you. Perhaps this will illustrate what's going on:

Helsinki:
Taitoluistelun SM-kisat:
Naiset:
1) Kiira Korpi Tappara 167,13, 2) Laura Lepistö EsJT 150,34, 3) Susanna Pöykiö OLK 147,86, 4) Minna Parviainen ETK 118,09, 5) Henriikka Hietaniemi MTK 112,90, 6) Helena Stenbacka ETK 103,00, 7) Heidi Toivanen KuLS 89,57.

Why is this significant? Well, the Finnish ladies are all trying to position themselves for a run at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. I personally don't know how many slots Finland will get in 2010, but they got 2 in 2006, so obviously not every Finnish figure skater is going to be headed to the Great White North.

There have been various competitions throughout the fall, but Korpi has not participated in any of them due to illness. Laura Lepistö has competed, and has placed well in (but did not win) competitions in China and Japan.

So now, in the home competition, Korpi is back in action, and she has (if I may borrow a gymnastics term) vaulted her way to the top of the heap again.

This is going to be a very interesting competition among the Finnish ladies over the next year or so. I'm personally pulling for Laura, for reasons previously stated, but may the best woman win.

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