National speed skater Claudia Pechstein returned, her eighth appearance at the Winter Olympics and the only female athlete in the world to "go out" for the Eighth Winter Olympics. Now, the 49-year-old Pechstein is well aware that this time in the Winter Olympics, it is likely to bring a successful end to her career.
In 2014, at the age of 41, she represented Germany in the women's 3,000m winter olympics. Before the game, a reporter asked her how many times she thought she would get in this competition. Peschstein bluntly told reporters that it was possible between sixth place and the champion.
In Peschstein's opinion, she still maintains good physical fitness, but on the one hand, she is indeed the oldest of all the contestants. On the other hand, the ice environment of the ice rink is also an uncertain factor. Because some rinks slide faster over the ice surface, others will be slower, requiring many more steps than usual. Sure enough, In the end, Peschstein left the field with regret as fourth.
In German sports circles, Peschstein is definitely a "legend". This is not only because she has represented Germany in the Olympic Arena many times, but also because of her grudge with the International Skating Federation. In 2009, she was banned for two years by the International Skating Federation because of a series of blood test values that deviated from the prescribed values.
The devastated Peşstein directly sued the International Skating Federation, and chose the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, but this time the lawsuit ended in defeat, which put Pechtstein under great pressure from the outside world. Later, in 2011, Peschstein returned, but still did not forget this feud, and in 2013 he took the ISWA to court again. In her opinion, her reputation as an athlete is above all else, and she wants to get justice for herself. Because of this, her affairs have also been paid more attention.
Today, Peshstein is 49 years old, but she is "back", and she hopes to realize her dream and win a gold medal. Not only to win glory for Germany, but more importantly, to draw a successful career.