Even at 49, Claudia Pechstein is one of the best speed skaters in the world. That’s why the German will also go to Beijing and set a record.
Exceptional speed skater Claudia Pechstein has taken the final hurdle to her eighth Olympic participation at the Winter Games in Beijing with the official nomination. The 49-year-old five-time Olympic champion from Berlin is one of the 20 athletes who were nominated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation on Tuesday for the Games from February 4th to 20th.
Pechstein had already achieved the standard in mid-December, and her participation is now official. With this she sets a record for women. Because never before has an athlete managed to take part in eight Winter Olympics. In the men’s category, the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai achieved this value. Since the 1992 Albertville Games, Pechstein has always been part of the DOSB squad.
The other squad members
In addition to Pechstein, four other speed skaters received their tickets in Michelle Uhrig, Patrick Beckert, Joel Dufter and Felix Rijhnen. Felix Loch can hunt for his fourth Olympic victory in tobogganing in Beijing. The 2018 gold relay around Natalie Geisenberger, Tobias Arlt, Johannes Ludwig and Tobias Wendl could repeat the triumph in China.
In figure skating, hopes rest on the European Championship fifth in pair skating, Minerva Hase / Nolan Seegert. Nicole Schott will compete in the women, while the German champion Paul Fentz will only run in the team competition. Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck will compete in the ice dance.
Secret about the ice hockey team
A pool of 35 ice hockey players has also been nominated, with reservations and without naming names, which will be reduced to 25 players (22 players / three goalkeepers) on January 18. In view of possible corona diseases and injuries, national coach Toni Söderholm asked not to name any player’s names in order to avoid speculation and debates, as an association spokesman said. The German team won Olympic silver in Pyeongchang in 2018.
The DOSB will complete the German team in a second round of nominations on January 18th. Around 150 athletes competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics. With 31 medals, they provided the best result after reunification.
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