Speed skating
After her mixed start to the season, Vanessa Herzog showed an upswing before the turn of the year with two sixth World Cup finishes over 500 m. She has a “good feeling” for the European Championships in Heerenveen, which begins on Friday, and is also hoping for a place on the podium in the shorter sprint distance.
05.01.2024 08.25
Online since today, 8:25 a.m
“I expect a medal chance in the 500 m and a top five placement in the 1,000 m with a very good run,” said Herzog before the individual competitions in the speed skating stronghold. “I have developed a really good feeling in the last few training sessions and can feel a clear upward trend,” she explained her optimism. Their races are scheduled for the weekend.
In the recent training sessions in Inzell, an emphasis was placed on technology. Now the strong Dutch women are waiting for their home track. “It will take an exceptionally good run to beat them. They simply have the audience behind them and what’s more, they train on this track all year round,” emphasized the 28-year-old.
Herzog is fighting for his seventh European Championship medal
Speed skater Vanessa Herzog wants to demonstrate her skills at the European Championships in Heerenveen in the Netherlands this weekend. It could be her seventh European Championship medal.
The European Championships are Herzog’s first highlight of the season; in 2018 she became the 500 m European champion in Kolomna and also won silver in the 1,000 m and bronze in the mass start. In 2020 there was silver in the 500 m, and in 2022 she decided not to take part in the European Championships in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Odor also wants to be at the forefront
Gabriel Odor also has hopes of a top spot this time, especially in the mass start. The seventh-place finisher in the European Championships in this discipline from last year will be competing there on Sunday as well as in the 1,500 m. “It went very well. The times recently were very fast, and I’m hoping for the necessary liveliness in Heerenveen,” said the Tyrolean.
Anna Molnar will also make her European Championship debut in the mass start on Sunday. Ignaz Gschwentner will take part in the 500 m on Sunday. He may also be at the start of the 1,000 m on Friday, where he will be in first reserve place.