Junior world championship titles are almost never to be celebrated for German speed skaters. Finn Sonnekalb has now been able to celebrate three on a weekend. From Friday, the 17-year-old can start with the adults in the World Cup for the first time.
He is the best in the world – at least in his age group. This was demonstrated by ice skating runners Finn Sonnkalb a week and a half ago. At the Junior World Cup in Klobenstein, Italy, the Erfurt won three world championship titles. Over 1,000 and 1,500 meters as well as in all-round all-around. In addition, bronze over 500 meters and in the team sprint.
The dimensions of this success become even more remarkable if you put it in historical relation. In the past 35 years, German young runners have won only one World Cup title among men. The last one who was able to win the all -around battle was Michael Spielmann, 1988.
To Ko for the award ceremony
“I can handle pain extremely well. Many other runners just don’t get over their kotting limit. I still go on there”Finn Sonnkalb describes his qualities. And in its case, this with the vomit border is not just a picture in a figurative sense.
“After competitions, I will be completely appealing in the next 15 minutes, lying completely exhausted somewhere over the gang or on a mat,” he says. Since the strongest runners usually start in the last couple in the speed of ice, this regularly spoils the subsequent award ceremony for the 17-year-old: “I am afraid to just fall over.”
Superiority in his age group
Team leader Helge Jasch was also impressed by Sonnkalbs at the World Cup in Italy: “Finn is a real fighter. If he runs out of the last curve and the race is tight, he actually always manages to assert himself in a direct duel.” However, close duels for the Erfurt opponent are rather the exception. That is why Finn Sonnkalb motivates himself primarily to increase its best times. In Germany it is already in the adult area among the very best.
The Thuringian actually comes from a bicycle family. Mother Madeleine and Father Gerrit took him on a long bike tour across Scandinavia at a year. Back then in the child seat. When Finn was six, the family cycled across Europe for eight months. Then he had to pedal himself on the tandem.
Finn, a boy full of energy. That’s why the parents wanted to bring him to the sports school in Erfurt early. In cycling, however, this was only possible from the seventh grade. Accordingly, the family looked for alternatives.
Santa Claus decides
Usually that should have been athletics. At that time, however, the rush in this sport in his hometown was so great that the lot had to decide on the participation in training. Finn pulled a rivet.
By chance, a Christmas party of the young skating offspring took place on the same afternoon in the neighboring ice stadium. The six -year -old was given a Santa Claus from the hands of the base manager. “Since that day I wanted to be a quick runner,” Says Sonnkalb.
Professional athlete life
He has been living a professional athlete life for almost two years. The school completed Finn Sonnkalb in 2023 with the middle maturity, then completed a voluntary social year with his association, the ESC Erfurt. The only goal of increasing its sporting performance. Already at 17, the Egg quick runner has its place in the Bundeswehr sports funding group in Oberhof, and will begin his basic training in April.
A year ago, Sonnkalb triumphed over 500 and 1,500 meters at the Youth Olympic Games in Korea. His current victories are almost a logical continuation of his success. His trainer Harald Harnisch tries to design daily training in such a way that overwhelming is avoided. After all, there are enough warning examples of young athletes who were confronted with too large sizes and not cope with too large sizes.
Sportschau-Wintersport-Podcast, 06.02.2025 05:00 a.m.
Target Olympic participation
They have been waiting for a long time in German ice skating. Very long. The association won the last Olympic medal so far in 2010, the last world championship title only a year later. Since then there has been largely sadness, even if an upward trend is currently recognizable. “I noticed how Doll is the need that someone comes and saves them,” Says Sonnkalb, who is now allowed to compete with adult runners at the World Cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki for the first time at the international level.
“I want to sniff in there first, I didn’t set any big goals. Just see what works,” he says. Sounds almost a little modest, but only almost. Practically in the same breath, Sonnkalb considers whether it could even be enough for him to participate in the single-distance World Cup in Hamar in mid-March.
Strong national competition
However, the national competition is as big on its strongest routes, 1,000 and 1,500 meters, as far as usual on no other running distances. With Hendrik Dombek, Moritz Klein and Stefan Emele there are three runners who can run in the World Cup in the World Cup on a good day.
But Finn Sonnkalb already has the next winter in mind. After all, an absolute highlight is waiting with the Olympic Games. “I think I could manage to qualify for it”says the young runner, who could run for another year in the junior class. However, that doesn’t appeal to him at all: “There is hardly any competition in my age group internationally.”
Jordan proud is the role model
In keeping with this, Finn Sonnkalb has a role model that the international breakthrough even early on, Jordan proudly. The American is only 20 and has already won six World Cup titles. Sonnkalb also dreams of such a transition from the young talent to the adult class. “He has the best chances, the best perspectives”Team leader Helge Jasch looks very optimistic into the future.
Athletes who were outstanding in the young class, but never made their breakthrough in adulthood, there was a lot in the speed of ice. Finn Sonnkalb is already saying: “I don’t want to be anyone of those who are only considered talent.”