As announced by the Dutch Skating Federation in Utrecht, the 38-year-old will lead a new national figure skating training center in Heerenveen, which will open in spring 2023. “I’m trying to start in Heerenveen as soon as possible. It’s a big challenge to take figure skating to a higher level in the Netherlands. I have that ambition. I’m happy to be offered this opportunity.”said the native Ukrainian, who currently lives in Oberstdorf.
Savchenko last worked there as a private trainer. Now she should promote her sport in the Netherlands. Internationally, figure skaters have so far only played an insignificant supporting role compared to speed skaters, who represent the absolute world elite. That is exactly what Savchenko wants to change.
Project plans in Berlin finally obsolete
Efforts to keep the success-obsessed four-time European champion in Germany are therefore no longer necessary. According to information from the sports information service (sid), plans for an international pair skating project in Berlin failed due to reservations in the German Skating Union (DEU).
The project manager, Alexander König, who had led Savchenko and her partner Bruno Massot to Olympic gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 and who wanted to involve his ex-protégé in the work, was fired. The 55-year-old has been under contract with the German Speed Skating and Short Track Association (DESG) since the beginning of the year as a coach for the areas of “science, education and training”.
Badly affected by the Ukraine war
The new commitment comes as a surprise, because Savchenko, as a Ukrainian, is currently severely affected by the war in her home country. From the Allgäu, she is currently trying to support her relatives in Ukraine, who are suffering from the Russian war of aggression, and to keep in touch with them.
The parents of the six-time world champion are now in Germany. “But my three brothers aren’t allowed out and don’t want to either. They say we’re defending our country.”Savchenko reported last weekend in the “ZDF-Sportstudio”.
Source: wp/sid