World Speed Skating Championships
The Individual Distance World Championships in Calgary, which begins on Thursday, is the top event of the year for Vanessa Herzog. The Tyrolean is aiming for top ten places in the 500 m on Friday and the 1,000 m on Saturday. On the shorter distance, she is one of the extended circle of podium candidates. “I hope to be able to deliver my two best races of the season at the World Championships,” said Herzog.
15.02.2024 20.37
Online since today, 8:37 p.m
After a mixed start to the season and the subsequent improvement in January, she joined the training of the US national team and has concentrated entirely on preparing for the World Cup in the past few weeks. In seventh place at the World Cup in Salt Lake City, the Carinthian native was no longer far behind the podium in terms of time at the end of January, and she then skipped the World Cup final in Quebec.
Training with the top US athletes helped her technically and gave her a lot of self-confidence. “We analyzed exactly where my deficits were and worked on them. The always positive atmosphere in the American team was also very pleasant and inspiring,” explained the 28-year-old. Over 500 m, a top-six place is realistic; in order to fulfill the wish for a medal, “everything really has to be right.” I would be happy with a top eight placement over 1,000 m.”
Further course of the season is still open
The collaboration with the Americans has already been fixed for the next season, but the continuation of the current season is still open. “We will decide after the races in Calgary whether the season will end or whether we will still compete at the Sprint World Championships in Inzell,” explained husband and manager Thomas Herzog. The medals will be raced in Bavaria on the second weekend in March, where Herzog became world champion and vice world champion in the 500 and 1,000 m in 2019.
Gabriel Odor is hoping for a sense of success in the mass start on Saturday; he won silver in his flagship discipline this year. He has a fixed starting place in the 1988 Olympic oval in Calgary – his adopted sporting home. The Tyrolean is the first substitute over 1,500 m on Sunday. “I see it as an advantage that I can go into the mass start freshly recovered. A lot is possible in the mass start,” said the 23-year-old. After the Quebec World Cup he was slightly ill, but now he feels fit again.
