Speed skating: DESG before upheaval – national coach van Veen throws down

Three weeks after the debacle at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, German speed skating showed signs of dissolution.

Also the 115. Podium place of Claudia Pechstein at the World Cup final in Minsk could no longer outshine the disaster. On Sunday afternoon, the crisis of the German Speed Skating Association (DESG) became apparent. National coach Jan van Veen resigned, further resignations could follow on Monday.

“I worked for DESG for two years with lots of fun and energy. But in the long run I don’t see any possibilities to lead DESG back to the top of the world”, said the Dutchman three weeks after the debacle at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

“I have serious doubts as to whether the necessary restructuring, which I believe must be carried out, will be supported by all the people involved”, van Veen continued and said: “I have therefore decided not to extend my contract with DESG”.

With his decision, the Dutchman apparently beat his expulsion. Sports director Robert Bartko is also on the brink after his poor performance in sport. Further comments are expected from him and from the Bureau on Monday.

Van Veen took over the job of national coach in February 2016, Olympic track cycling champion Bartko became DESG sports director in December 2014. The duo had striven for a reorientation of the association, but could not meet the expectations. In Pyeongchang in February the German team – like four years earlier in Sochi – had remained without a medal.

Despite the withdrawal of the national coach Claudia Pechstein showed a decent performance at the World Cup finale in Minsk this weekend. The five-time Olympic champion clinched fifth place in the mass start. In the overall World Cup, the 46-year-old only missed the podium by 29 points with fourth place in the victory of Italian Francesca Lollobrigida.

The day before, Pechstein had made it into the top three in the team pursuit – but only three teams were at the start. The German team with Michelle Uhrig (Berlin) and Gabriele Hirschbichler (Inzell) and just Pechstein finished in 3:08,18 minutes behind Olympic champion Japan (3:00,18) and the Netherlands (3:05,21). For Pechstein it was 115. World Cup podium of her career.

Sprinter Nico Ihle finished the World Cup final with another sobering finish. The Chemnitzer only finished tenth in the Dutch triple triumph in 35.34 seconds in the second race over 500 m. Jan Smeekens (34.83 seconds) won ahead of his Dutch compatriots Dai Dai Ntab (34.94) and Hein Otterspeer (34.97).

The day before, the Olympic eighth from Saxony only finished eleventh and penultimate in the first 500m race in 35.60 seconds. Things went much better for Ihle over 1000 m. In 1’09.56″ he finished fourth in Saturday’s victory over Dutchman Kjeld Nuis (1’09.23″).

After eleven races of the season, Ihle finished eleventh in the overall 500m World Cup standings. Olympic champion Havard Lorentzen (Norway) triumphed.

For Germany’s best long distance athlete Patrick Beckert, the Olympic season ended unhappily, the man from Erfurt was disqualified over 5000m. Moritz Geisreiter (Inzell) finished sixth in the last race of his career in 6:28.79 minutes.