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Heerenveen (dpa) - After weeks full of resentment about the disembarkation of his trainer, Joel Dufter walked beaming onto the podium at the European speed skating championships in Heerenveen.
"That was the right answer: four solid runs, no big mistakes," said the 25-year-old Inzeller.
After he won his first international medal with bronze, he now wants to have a beer that evening, he said.
Just a few days earlier, he had complained to the DESG leadership in an open letter with three other ice sprinters about the disembarkation of sprint national coach Danny Leger at the end of 2020.
«This situation wasn't nice.
But I have to put up with it, ”said Dufter of the German press agency.
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In Heerenveen he was looked after by Andreas Beer from Erfurt.
«That worked.
He can't help it either and is totally into it.
But I have to walk alone, ”said Dufter.
His second 500 meter race did not go so well (35.23) because the Chemnitz veteran Nico Ihle fell badly in the pair in front of him and slipped headlong into the gang in the last corner.
The ice preparation then led to some waiting time.
"If a teammate is affected, that's particularly stupid," said Dufter.
But over 1000 meters, the eighth in the World Cup in 1: 08.93 minutes made the surprise perfect as third.
“There were four constant runs.
But you have to be fully focused - one misstep and you're gone. "
The day before he had improved his one-year-old best time on the Calgary Highland Railway in 34.79 seconds.
«The 500 meters on the first day really surprised me.
That time was really awesome, ”said Dufter.
The EM victory went to the Dutchman Thomas Krol in front of his teammate Hein Otterspeer.
All four European Championship decisions ended with Oranje victories.
Katja Franzen cracked the 39-second mark over 500 meters for the first time in 38.86 seconds in the women's sprint after two personal bests.
In the classification, the woman from Inzell took tenth place.
European champion was Jutta Leerdam from the Netherlands.
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The all-round competitions also became a clear matter for the hosts.
The three-time world champion Patrick Roest confidently won his first European Championship title, and Antoinette de Jong won the second European Championship gold after 2019 for the women.
The five-time inline skating world champion Mareike Thum (Darmstadt) landed in 16th place, Leia Behlau (Inzell) in 18th. Like the two of them, Konstantin Götze (Erfurt) also missed the final of the top 8 after three stretches in 17th place.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210117-99-61708 / 5
Profile Joel Dufter
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Profile Hendrik Dombek
Results EM
Profile Mareike Thum
Profile Nico Ihle
The German EM team