Russia W are preparing for their World Championship opener

In Kamloops, Canada, the 2016 women's IIHF World Championship is starting up.

Russia have been placed in group A along with Finland, Canada and the USA, and it is going to be a true test of our girls' character. Canada and the US are the tournament's runaway favourites, however Finland are a perfectly beatable side for the Russians. Two teams from the group will qualify directly for the semi-finals, while the others will have a playoff fixture against the top countries from group B. It's worth pointing out, that the best five teams of the tournament will gain an 2018 Olympic Games berth in South Korea.

The Finns have a decent record against Russia in recent seasons, and they defeated our team 4:1 last year in the bronze medal match. They have also seen off Russia two times this season in Four Nations matches (4:1 and 3:1).

The Russia - Finland match will begin at 01:30 Moscow time. Match TV will broadcast in Russia, while on Hockey Canada's official website, there will be a live video.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation