Title IX: Women’s Hockey Buckeyes Finds Success on Olympic Stage
5/16/2023 10:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey, Title IX
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State women's hockey has been present on the Olympic stage since the sport made its Olympic debut in 1998. Since then, at least one Buckeye has been on an Olympic roster at every winter games.
In the first women's hockey tournament of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, future Buckeye Emma Laaksonen ('04) was a member of the Finnish team that defeated Sweden, 6-0, in the first women's hockey Olympic game. Finland won bronze in the inaugural tournament. Laaksonen played for Ohio State from 2000-04 and went on to become just one of six players to play in a record five Olympic games.
The first Buckeye to win Olympic gold was Tessa Bonhomme ('08) at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. She and Team Canada won the country's third consecutive Olympic gold, this time on home soil. That year, Lisa Chesson ('08) and the United States took silver and Laaksonen and Minttu Tuominen ('13) helped Finland to bronze. Chesson was the first Buckeye to play for Team USA on an Olympic roster.
At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, a program-record six Buckeyes competed for their respective countries. Emma Maltais ('23) and Natalie Spooner ('12) helped Team Canada to its fifth Olympic gold medal while Jincy Dunne ('20) skated to a silver medal with Team USA. Tuominen added Ohio State's fourth medal of the tournament, earning bronze with Finland. Andrea Braendli ('22) was the starting goaltender for Switzerland at the games while rising sophomore Sophie Lundin skated for Sweden.
In all, Ohio State women's hockey players have earned a combined 13 Olympic medals, including four gold. A Buckeye has played in every gold-medal game since 2010 and has earned a medal in all but Olympic tournaments since 1998. In the seven Olympics featuring a women's hockey tournament, 11 Buckeyes have played and represented five countries.
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