Heerenveen, the municipality in the Netherlands is one of the places of longing for speed skaters. A whole hall in orange ensures the best atmosphere in the World Cup winter every year. The Netherlands, as everyone knows by now, is perhaps the most speed skating-crazy nation in the world.
But last year, as is well known, there was a pandemic in which there was still a lack of vaccine – another much more defining issue. So it was nothing with the full one orange-Ice Stadium Thialf – named after Thialfi, a servant of the god Thor in Norse mythology.
That will now change when the last World Cup stop of this winter in Heerenveen is scheduled for the weekend: “The runners are looking forward to a full house in the Thialf Stadium”writes the International Skating Federation ISU on his website.
Olympia again without German medals
End of the season, that also means taking stock – and from a German point of view, it’s not particularly positive. On the contrary: it is somewhat sobering. The former top nation is now in the middle of the world – and not just since this season.
As a result, there was a change in the association. Structures have been changed. She knew that these would not bear fruit immediately DESG– Peak feared. Sports director Nadine Seidenglanz is therefore not entirely dissatisfied. “We didn’t expect too much and saw a trend that is going up. The trend is positive”she told the sports show.
After a “shaky start” in the World Cup, the two appearances overseas were particularly good. “We really improved there.“At the Olympics, Seidenglanz admitted, one expected more. In Beijing, as in 2018 in Pyeongchang, all the medals were won by other nations.
At the All-Around World Championships in Hamar last week, the Germans did not achieve top ranks either, in the men’s team sprint Hendrik Dombek (Munich), Nico Ihle (Chemnitz) and Moritz Klein (Erfurt) finished fifth.
Pechstein and Beckert best Germans in the World Cup
Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann also lost her 21-year-old Hamar record over 3000 meters to Dutch Olympic champion Irene Schouten. A companion of Niemann-Stirnemann, Claudia Pechstein (Berlin), is still, even two weeks after her 50th birthday, the defining German speed skater.
She’s currently 20th in the World Cup long distances, but she’s already looking forward to the spectators in Heerenveen, she said. The strongest man in the World Cup is currently Patrick Beckert (Erfurt) in eighth place over the long distances.
Nils van der Poel – or: Stop when it’s most beautiful
However, the fastest man in the world over the 5,000 and 10,000 meters is the Swede Nils van der Poel. He’s only half the age of Pechstein – and has already announced that he wants to stop. “I’m going to finish the season as a pro and then be an amateur skater for the rest of my life‘ he said at a press conference in Hamar.
He would end his career on the high – after two Olympic victories including a world record over 10 kilometers and the completely safe all-around title in Hamar.
The German view is towards the 2026 Olympics in Milan/Cortina
However, the German team still has a long way to go before such successes can be achieved. Giving hope to the team of the German Speed Skating and Short Track Association (DESG) therefore completely different medals from the beginning of March: the ones at the studentWM at Lake Placid.
The German team collected precious metal there seven times – and showed that talent is still there: 22-year-old Lea Sophie Scholz from TSC Berlin became world champion over 1500 meters, Fridtjof Petzold (24) won the gold medal over 5000 meters and in the Mixedteam competition, Scholz won gold together with Michael Roth (22).
This resulted in second place in the national ranking behind Japan. “Something is coming“, says Seidenglanz and seems very hopeful. Even if the studentWM wasn’t the absolute world class at the start. The best ran at the same time WM in Hamar.
“We keep looking ahead. Together we are strong and we can do it. Road to Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026”she writes DESG on your website. This shows that after a mediocre season, the association is already thinking far beyond the final weekend in wild Heerenveen.