Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL) celebrated its 88 year-long history in January 2012. By tradition, prize giving ceremony of the student athlete of the year award formed part of the festivities. The award was given for the first time to a team instead of an individual athlete. The achievements of the synchronized skating team Rockettes - World Champions 2011 as well as Erzurum Winter Universiade gold medal team - were simply impossible to surpass by the other candidates.

 

Speeches were given by the President of OLL, Ms Lotte Uutinen; Chairman of the Finnish Sports Council, Mr Jan Vapaavuori and Mr Jari Savolainen from the Finnish Olympic Committee. Mr Jukka Tirri, OLL Sports Director, made a review of the Universiade year 2011.

 

The award was received by the Team Captain of the Rockettes, Mrs Kristina Herbert, thanking OLL for the recognition and promising that the team will continue its noble mission.

 

On a separate occassion, the Finnish Sports Gala was held in the middle of January. Most important of the awards given was the nomination of the Finnish Athlete of the Year. The honour was received by Kaisa Makarainen who won gold medal in pursuit competition in the World Biathlon Championships 2011. She showed great form throughout the whole season, winning also the overall Biathlon World Cup. Twenty-nine years old Makarainen is a student in the University of Eastern Finland and competed in the Innsbruck Winter Universiade in 2005. Her best result then was the fifth place in 12.5 kilometres mass start race.