Pain unbearable

No start! Herzog pulls the emergency brake at the Olympics

Nachrichten
10.02.2026 18:56
Porträt von krone Sport
Von krone Sport

Speed skater Vanessa Herzog will not be competing in any further events at the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina. The Tyrolean, who finished only 24th out of 30 competitors in the 1,000 m on Monday, announced the decision made by herself and her husband and coach Thomas Herzog on Tuesday. The reason: severe back pain!

After suffering from severe back pain in recent weeks, the 30-year-old competed, but then left open the possibility of competing in her actual specialty distance.

(Bild: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT)

The day after, it was "games over" for the Carinthia resident, so to speak. "I've now reached the point where the pain is unbearable again. I can't race like this. I've really tried everything, but it's just not meant to be." Vanessa and Thomas Herzog will move out of the Olympic Village in Milan on Wednesday in consultation with the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) and begin their journey home. Ultimately, a short training attempt on Tuesday was decisive in this decision.

Herzog had already anticipated this scenario during the 1,000 m race. The pain hit her with full intensity from the very first step. "It wasn't just the race that was difficult, but also the next few hours and the next day due to the increasing pain," reported Thomas Herzog.

End of the season
His wife had finished fourth at the Olympics in both 2018 and 2022 and returned to the ice in Milan a week and a half ago after a three-week forced break due to a herniated disc and inflammation of the sacroiliac joint on both sides. The pain first appeared around Christmas time. Herzog will now also end her season. Thomas Herzog: "Now her back will be completely cured." Whether the former world champion will make another Olympic bid for a medal in 2030, when she will be 34, is currently open.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

Loading...
00:00 / 00:00
Abspielen
Schließen
Aufklappen
kein Artikelbild
Loading...
Vorige 10 Sekunden
Zum Vorigen Wechseln
Abspielen
Zum Nächsten Wechseln
Nächste 10 Sekunden
00:00
00:00
1.0x Geschwindigkeit
Loading
Kommentare Banner - Die Stimme Österreichs

Willkommen in unserer Community! Eingehende Beiträge werden geprüft und anschließend veröffentlicht. Bitte achten Sie auf Einhaltung unserer Netiquette und AGB. Für ausführliche Diskussionen steht Ihnen ebenso das krone.at-Forum zur Verfügung. Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.

Hinweis in eigener Sache: Das krone.at-Forum präsentiert sich ab sofort in neuem Design! Wir freuen uns über konstruktives Feedback. Damit die Diskussionen in den Kommentarbereichen beim jeweiligen Thema bleiben, können Sie uns Rückmeldungen hier hinterlassen.

Kostenlose Spiele
Vorteilswelt

Magazine der Kronen Zeitung