Sandrine Tas not through to final at Winter Games in Beijing

Tas had to join the first eight for a final ticket, but she only finished twelfth. She was unable to compete for points in the intermediate sprints. “I was a bit behind it,” said Tas. “And that was not because I was waiting for the sprint. I just didn’t have the legs to sprint. Out of necessity I had to put everything in the final sprint, but I knew it was going to be very difficult. And that turned out. I needed a great day to qualify. The level is gigantic.” The intermediate sprints are normally Tas’ best chance to reach the final. “For example, I recently made it to the final at the World Cup in Salt Lake City. Otherwise you soon have to finish in the top five to be sure of a final ticket. And that is just a bit too ambitious for me.”

Within four years, Tas wants to score high at the Games in Milan. “I switched from rollerblading to skating for that Olympic dream. But that dream is about more than participating. I’m used to fighting for the medals in rollerblading. I want to do everything I can to get there too skating,” Tas concluded. The mass start was Tas’s fourth and final race in Beijing, after the 500 m (28th), the 1000 m (28th) and the 1500 m (29th).