Pechstein with a decisive attack just before the end
In the turmoil of the 14 runners, Pechstein stayed at the very end of the field for a long time and observed how her competitors struggled. It wasn’t until the 13th of 16 laps that she launched an attack. She was not able to bring the lead that had run out to the finish line. In seventh place, however, she still made it into the final.
The German flag-bearer at the opening ceremony is contesting what will probably be her last Olympic race in the mass start – her eighth start at the Winter Games. Pechstein has won nine medals in her 30-year Olympic career, five of them gold. Next Tuesday (02/22/2022) she will be 50 years old. She classifies the mass start as a “lottery”. “Some say there’s always a chance of a surprise in the mass start”she said. “That’s true, but I’m still a realist and I say that I can’t win an Olympic medal anymore.”
Uhrig falls after Schubser
Michelle Uhrig had already collected two sprint points in the second semi-final when she was involved in a fall. After she got to her feet, Uhrig complained loudly that Boreum Kim pushed her. But the judges did not recognize any violation of the rules when evaluating the video. The South Korean made it into the finals, Uhrig was eleventh and had to pack up.
Men’s final without German participation
Felix Rijhnen had no chance in his semi-final. He did not collect any sprint points and initially finished 14th and penultimate. He was even disqualified later because of a rule violation. Rijhnen was the only German starter among the men. The Belgian Bart Swings won the Olympics ahead of the two South Koreans Jae Won Chung and Seung Hoon.