Claudia Pechstein wins as she wants - in Germany.

Once again, the speed skating veteran only showed the competition the ice skate heels at the championships in Inzell.

The titles 40 and 41 by a large margin were an expression of the superiority of the country's most successful winter Olympian.

Times are also amazing for a 49-year-old. But what are they worth on an international scale? For comparison: Dutch champion Irene Schouten prevailed over 3000 meters in 3: 54.59 minutes, Pechstein won in Inzell in 4: 11.82 minutes. These are worlds that separate Germany's best, who won Olympic gold five times in her career, from the world's best. "In Holland I would have been a pensioner for 15 years," said Pechstein with a smile.

The third title of the Berliner in Inzell prevented a fall in the mass start race on Sunday.

But Pechstein then caught up just a lap behind and finished third.

Over 3000 meters she was almost five seconds ahead of the more than 20 years younger competitors.

More than 5000 meters, her lead over Michelle Uhrig from Berlin, who has recovered from a bicycle accident and four knee operations, was even greater.

"The distance to the young chickens is extreme again," stated Pechstein.

"I see it very negatively, but I know that from the last few years."

The road to Beijing is tough

DESG President Matthias Große, Pechstein's partner, still sees a glimmer of hope. “We couldn't expect anything else, I don't want to talk nicely. But we can't clone anyone. I am glad that the idea of ​​performance has found its way again and that the youth are facing the competition on all routes. ”In the previous championship fights over 5000 meters, there was not a German opponent for Pechstein on the ice.

The woman from the capital, who missed her entry into the high house as a non-party candidate for the CDU in the Bundestag election in the Berlin district of Köpenick, knows how tough the road to her eighth Olympic Winter Games will be. The very first World Cup in Tomaszow, Poland, is about everything: There she has to finish at least eleventh over 3000 meters in order to reach the starting field for her special course over 5000 meters in Stavanger a week later. Whoever comes in the top eight there is sure to have the ticket for Beijing.

The "perpetual motion machine", as the Süddeutsche Zeitung Pechstein called it, would be the first woman to take part in the winter games for the eighth time.

So far this has only been achieved by the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai.

The Berliner wants to stay true to speed skating after her expected departure from active career after Beijing.

At the beginning of the week, she started her training at the Trainer Academy of German Sports in Cologne.

There was no sign of a generation change for the men either.

Double champions Joel Dufter from Inzell (500 and 1000 meters) and Patrick Beckert (5000 and 10,000 meters) have the highest hopes for the Olympics.

The three-time World Cup third from Erfurt broke his championship record by ten seconds over the long distance in 12: 54.43 minutes and won his 24th title.