Tuesday, January 11, 2022
“Absolute career highlight”
Pechstein has a mega record in his pocket
Claudia Pechstein is nominated for the eighth time for the Olympic Winter Games at the age of 49. If she started in Beijing, the speed skater would break two records. DOSB President Thomas Weikert hopes that this kind of “special” game will be held for the last time.
Exceptional speed skater Claudia Pechstein has taken the final hurdle to her eighth Olympic participation at the Winter Games in Beijing with the official nomination. The 49-year-old five-time Olympic champion from Berlin is one of the 20 athletes nominated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation for the Games from February 4th to 20th. After qualifying, Pechstein, who will set a record for women with her eighth Olympic start, described this as the “absolute highlight” of her career. If it were to start in Beijing, it would catch up with the previous sole record holder, the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai. A participant in winter games has never been older.
A pool of 35 ice hockey players has been nominated, with reservations and without naming names, which will be reduced to 25 players (22 players / 3 goalkeepers) on January 18th. In view of possible corona diseases and injuries, national coach Toni Söderholm asked not to name any player’s names in order to avoid speculation and debates, as an association spokesman said. The German team sensationally won Olympic silver in Pyeongchang in 2018.
“Hopefully last time pandemic conditions”
In addition to Pechstein, four other speed skaters received their tickets in Michelle Uhrig, Patrick Beckert, Joel Dufter and Felix Rijhnen. Felix Loch can hunt for his fourth Olympic victory in tobogganing in Beijing. The 2018 gold relay around Natalie Geisenberger, Tobias Arlt, Johannes Ludwig and Tobias Wendl could repeat the triumph in China.
In figure skating, hopes rest on the European Championship fifth in pair skating, Minerva Hase / Nolan Seegert. Nicole Schott will compete in the women, while the German champion Paul Fentz will only run in the team competition. Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck will compete in the ice dance.
“With the completion of the first round of nominations, the first step on the way to a strong team D for Beijing has been taken,” said DOSB President Thomas Weikert. “Once again, and hopefully for the last time, we will experience games of a very special kind under pandemic conditions.” The DOSB will complete the German team in a second round of nominations on January 18th. Around 150 athletes competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics. With 31 medals, they provided the best result after reunification.