“You left far too soon”
German speed skater mourns her father
November 14, 2025 – 4:05 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Her mother is a three-time Olympic champion. Victoria Stirnemann is also at home on the ice. However, she is currently having to come to terms with her father’s death.
The German speed skater Victoria Stirnemann mourns the death of her father. As the 23-year-old announced on Instagram, Oliver Stirnemann died on November 4th at the age of 54. Stirnemann is the daughter of the former German speed skater and three-time Olympic champion Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann.
The successful athlete shared touching words about a black and white photo of her father. She wrote: “Dad, you left far too soon, and yet I feel you in every moment. Your laughter, your humor, your love and your strength continue to shine in my heart. It’s still hard to grasp that you’re no longer here, everything feels unreal.”
Then Stirnemann continued: “You lived life with so much strength and heart, gave joy, laughed and carried us all with your warmth. You fought until the end and never lost your sense of humor.” It is not known whether Oliver Stirnemann had an illness.
The speed skater concluded her statement with the words: “Now you don’t have to fight anymore, dad. Your heart, your humor, your strength and your joy of life will remain with me forever, and I thank God for every moment with you. May God give you peace.”
In July of this year, Victoria Stirnemann married the boxer Salah Jahel. Her father was present at the wedding. The athlete shared a photo of herself and her father at the time and wrote: “A moment for eternity. Guided by the first man in my life – my dad.”