National speed skating coach Geert Kuiper is retiring prematurely after just two years for the German Speed Skating and Short Track Association (DESG). The 62-year-old Dutchman’s contract ran until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
“With Berlin as the base for a large part of the German team, it’s not possible for me to be present at training as often as it would be necessary,” the coach explained his decision. In addition to his work as a speed skating coach, Kuiper runs a farm near Wolvega (Friesland) with his son.
According to a report in the Dutch specialist magazine “schaatsen.nl”, Frenchman Alexis Contin is to become the new national coach. The three-time Olympic participant and multiple inline world champion has been working as a speed skating base coach for the DESG in Berlin since November 2020.