Felix Rijhnen achieved his greatest success on the ice with the World Cup victory in Stavanger. The speed skater is primarily at home in inline skating.
It was Felix Rijhnen’s greatest success on ice at the World Cup. In Stavanger, the speed skater surprisingly took the win in the final meters. The 32-year-old had actually declared his career on the ice to be over in 2015. He had put his skates in the basement and more or less finished with the sport. The focus should only be on inline skating.
Because Rijhnen is actually at home on the asphalt. “I’ve been on inline skates since I was five years old. I spent my entire childhood and adolescence on roller skates and I’ve won everything there is to win.”, he says in the Sportschau interview. With two world championship titles and one European title, he is one of the most successful skaters. In 2019 he was also the first German to celebrate victory in the inline skating Berlin Marathon.
Path to speed skating during adolescence
Parallel to skating, the Hessian also started speed skating during his youth. At first he was able to practice both sports at the same time. In the winter it was on the ice, in the summer Rijhnen was on the asphalt. The DESG, the German ice speed and short track community, was happy to see that, but not. “They didn’t like that I do my own thing in the summer and that I like skating”he says. “They said if you want to be supported and promoted then you have to stop skating.” Something that was out of the question for Rijhnen.
“Inline skating is the sport my heart is in. The sport that made me strong and the athlete I am today.”
In 2015, Rijhnen drew a line: “At some point it cost me so much energy that I said I’ll leave it alone if they don’t want me.” Despite the disappointment, Rijhnen also showed understanding for the associations: “It is understandable that everyone tries to bind and keep the athletes.” For example, conflicting dates between the two associations speak against practicing both sports at the same time.
Rijhnen: “We were stuck in Germany for a long time”
While people in Germany were unwilling to make any compromises, internationally they were much more tolerant and allowed athletes to practice both sports. “In Germany we were stuck for a long time”says Rijhnen. “People didn’t recognize the opportunities that arise, for example that you have synergy effects.”
So it took a long time for the skate association to develop an awareness of the fact that “the career of athletes can be extended by a few years if they have a second source of income. You don’t get rich with either sport, but at least you have to earn a living.”
Changes due to new DESG President Große
The change in the speed skating association came from Matthias Große, who became the new president in September 2020. “He called me in January 2021 and said he would like to see me on the ice.” Above all, however, it opened up a new goal for him: “He asked me what I needed to come to Olmypia.” After two days of reflection, Rijhnen decided to make a comeback in the speed skating association: “I hadn’t finished it yet and was in the mood to try it again.”
And it worked: Rijhnen qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing. In the final over 5,000 meters he was 13th. He had nothing to do with the awarding of the medal, but his performance made us want more.
At the World Cup in Stavanger, Rijhnen was rewarded with his first World Cup victory. The surprising success does not change his goals for the season: “It’s a good feeling to be able to say after the first World Cup, ‘that was a successful year’. Otherwise, nothing has changed.”
New best times at the World Cup in Calguary?
At the World Cup in Calguary in mid-December, new best times are to be tackled. Rijhnen is still leaving it open what the second half of the season will look like: “I’ll be a dad for the first time at the end of January. I’ll have a little break then.” But he already has his next goal in mind: “The individual distance World Championships are in March. It would be great if I had already qualified by then and could attack again in the mass start.”
Rijhnen’s path between ice and asphalt is not unique. The Belgian Bart Swings, who won the gold medal in the mass start at the Beijing Games, and the American Erin Jackson (multiple world champion and Olympic champion in 2022) are also at home in both sports.
Despite the success on the ice, Rijhnen would still choose not only speed skating: “I’m extremely grateful. It was my childhood dream to take part in the Olympics. But skating is the sport my heart is in. Even a World Cup victory doesn’t change anything.”