Illustration photo – Speed skater Martina Sáblíková.
Tomaszów Mazowiecki (Poland) – Speed skater Martina Sáblíková will start on Friday in the final of the World Cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, in which she will try to build on her second place from last week on the 3000-meter track. The 35-year-old Czech representative will also compete on the 1,500-meter track on Saturday, where she triumphed in the B division the previous weekend.
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“One thing is a silver medal from a saint, but the other thing is – and this is terribly important to me, maybe more important than the silver – the display of driving. I had the strength to drive even at the end and I didn't die completely extra. That's a huge prize for me. That I returned to some level,” Sáblíková praised herself after the last successful race.
The protégé of coach Petr Novák returned to the SP after an injury in Calgary in December and announced in advance that she did not know how she would fare compared to the competition. She took the starts in the elite series mainly as preparation for the World Championships on individual tracks, which will take place in Heerenveen at the beginning of March.
In the end, however, she scored the best partial result of the season in Sáblíková in Poland, after not being enough for Norway Ragne Wiklundová, who with her third win consolidated her lead in the long distance standings. After gaining 54 points, Sáblíková moved to eighth place. “But that's not important to me at all. I don't decide where I can or can't jump, the main thing is how I feel,” said Sáblíková.
Just like a week ago, the reigning Olympic champion on this track will be absent in Tomaszów Mazowiecki Irene Schouten from the Netherlands, who is preparing for the WC at home. Although the Dutch sent a stronger representation to the World Cup finals than a week ago for the penultimate part of the series, Sáblíkova lost one significant opponent. Lastly, the third Marijke Groenewoud also returned home to train for the peak of the season.
