Frisian long track speed skater Sven Kramer says he was not in top form during the Olympic Games in PyeongChang and the world championships in Amsterdam.
By Marieke Bos / Translation by Traci White
Kramer attributes falling short of a gold medal in the 10-kilometre event to back trouble. “I was having back problems all last year, especially my lower back, and that meant that I had less power in my left leg”, Kramer told NOS. The problems were exacerbated after Kramer fell off of his bike multiple times.
Kramer came in sixth place in PyeongChang and the world championships in Amsterdam in his signature event: the 10-kilometre race. Despite the back problems, Kramer managed to skate his way to a gold medal in the five-kilometre event. “The longer the distance, the worse it feels”, Kramer says.
“I can manage the five-kilometre race more or less on auto pilot, but not the ten-kilometre event. That demands more strategy and technique, and your body really has to be in top condition to do it.” The Frisian skater is hoping to be able to treat the back problems for the coming season.
Photo source: Bjarte Hetland
