23rd Winter Olympic Games
The 23rd Winter Olympic Games started in Pyeongchang, South Korea on February 9, 2018. The first were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, although they received the status of Olympic Games from the IOC after they were held. Initially, the competition in Chamonix was called the International Winter Sports Week.
130/80 (not) safe
Pyeongchang is located in the Taebaek Mountains, 130 kilometers east of Seoul. The winter there is long and snowy. So the conditions for winter sports are ideal. But the fact that the border with North Korea is located 80 kilometers from Pyeongchang can scare off many fans.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
43,700 - peace and prosperity
Pyeongchang means peace and prosperity in Korean. There is no better slogan for the Olympics. However, the population of Pyeongchang itself is only 9,940 people. The district of the same name is home to more than 43,700 people.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
35,000 Olympic Stadium
The stadium in Pyeongchang was built specifically for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It is designed for 35,000 spectators who will be able to watch the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games here.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
Difference in time
Many sports fans who come to PyeongChang, for example, from Europe, will have to endure certain inconveniences associated with the time difference. Between Berlin and Seoul it is 8 hours. And between Moscow and Seoul - 6. According to Central European time, the competition will take place in the afternoon and even at night. The opening of the Games took place on February 9, Europeans saw it at exactly noon.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
15 sports
Athletes from all over the world take part in competitions in 15 sports. Among them, the vast majority are traditional: skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, hockey. At the same time, the IOC included six new disciplines in the 2018 Olympics program: mass start in speed skating (men and women), big air in snowboarding (men and women), team competition in alpine skiing and double mixed in curling.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
3000 athletes
Almost 3,000 athletes will compete for Olympic medals in Pyeongchang. “Clean” Russian athletes who are not involved in a doping scandal are allowed to participate in the Games under a neutral flag.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
Consequences of the doping scandal
On December 5, the IOC suspended the Russian team from participation in the Games in Pyeongchang due to a doping scandal. At the same time, the IOC invited 169 “pure” athletes from the Russian Federation to participate in the Games under a neutral flag. On the opening day of the Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, having considered the appeals of 45 Russian athletes and 2 coaches against the IOC decision, did not allow any of them to participate in the Olympic Games.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
For the first time without German curlers
For the first time since 1998, when curling was reintroduced to the Winter Olympics, German athletes will not take part in the sport's medal competition. Both the men's and women's teams failed to qualify for the Games.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
377 medals for the German team
377 Olympic medals have been won by German athletes throughout the history of the Winter Olympic Games. The athletes representing Germany won a total of 136 top medals. The German Olympic team also has 135 silver and 106 bronze medals.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
Germany in sixth place
At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the German team won 19 medals: 8 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze. German athletes ended up in sixth place in the unofficial team competition.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
Seventh Games for the best German athlete
Five-time Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein, who won a total of 9 medals of various denominations, is the best German athlete heading to the 2018 Winter Olympics. In Pyeongchang, she will celebrate not only her participation in her seventh Olympics, but also her 46th birthday.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
More than a million Olympic tickets for fans
Ticket sales for the Olympic competitions were sluggish. Of the 1.07 million admission tickets, only about 30 percent were sold. Koreans' interest in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is not very great. Many people cannot afford expensive tickets and hotel accommodations near sports arenas.
Olympic Games 2018 in numbers
7,500 torchbearers took part in the Olympic torch relay
7,500 torchbearers took part in the Olympic torch relay. They carried it through all the important cities and regions of South Korea and lit it during the opening ceremony of the Olympics at the stadium in Pyeongchang. The longest and largest in the history of the Winter Olympic Games was the Sochi 2014 Olympic torch relay.
The Bundesteam is almost entirely made up of players from the German domestic championship. Only one of its hockey players, defenseman Justin Kruger, plays in Bern, Switzerland. The current high level of the DEL league, where a sufficient number of famous Europeans and North Americans play, allows German hockey players to grow within their own country and not leave anywhere. Moreover, the budgets of the leading clubs in the German championship are quite high, which is one of the main advantages over competing teams from neighboring countries.
The main star of the German national team, defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, spent most of his career in the NHL, and at sunset he decided to return to Cologne. The vast experience and skill of the 35-year-old Ehrhoff make him an indispensable defensive player for the current Sturm team. Another old-timer of the Bundesteam is rightfully considered Yannick Seidenberg, who is only 2 years younger than Ehrhoff. Seidenberg is a two-time German champion with Munich.
The defense of the German team is amazing in its power. The height of almost all Bundesteam defenders exceeds 185 cm, and their weight is 90 kg. Excellent physical readiness, heroic strength, the ability to play hard and mobile are the main trump cards of the “blueliners” of Marco Sturm’s team.
Among the forwards, it is worth noting the large Marcel Müller from Krefeld, who scored 52 points in 43 games for Krefeld, as well as the naturalized Canadian Brooks Maczek, representing the German champion Munich. Müller's partner at Krefeld, Daniel Pietta, is enjoying a bright season this season, as well as one of the best young forwards in the country in recent years, Dominik Kahun, who was born in the Czech Republic and moved to Mannheim, Germany at a young age.
But Russian hockey fans are best known for forward Felix Schutz, who played for 4 KHL teams - Admiral, Dynamo Riga, Avangard and Torpedo. Schütz has now returned to his homeland and scored 44 points in 48 matches for Cologne. The main goalkeeper of the German team in Pyeongchang will be one of the pair Aus Den Birken (Munich) - Endras (Mannheim). Both goalkeepers are in their prime and are rightfully considered leaders of their clubs.
In Pyeongchang, the German team is capable of competing in its group for 2nd place. To do this, she needs to beat the Norwegians and take points from one of the favorites - the Finns or the Swedes. But the most likely option still looks like 3rd place at the end of the preliminary stage. The updated and not always stable “Bundestim” clearly does not yet reach the level of the more skilled Scandinavians.
The composition of the German national ice hockey team at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeochang
| Player | Role | Age | Height | Weight |
| Danny aus den Birken | goalkeeper | 15.02.1985 | 186 | 89 |
| Timo Pielmeier | goalkeeper | 07.07.1989 | 183 | 82 |
| Dennis Endras | goalkeeper | 14.07.1985 | 182 | 80 |
| Daryl Boyle | defender | 24.02.1987 | 185 | 89 |
| Yannick Seidenberg | defender | 11.01.1984 | 172 | 82 |
| Björn Krupp | defender | 06.03.1991 | 191 | 92 |
| Jonas Müller | defender | 19.11.1995 | 181 | 78 |
| Moritz Müller | defender | 19.11.1986 | 187 | 92 |
| Denis Royle | defender | 29.06.1989 | 193 | 110 |
| Frank Hoerdler | defender | 26.01.1985 | 183 | 90 |
| Christian Ehrhoff | defender | 06.07.1982 | 188 | 92 |
| David Wolf | forward | 15.09.1989 | 190 | 98 |
| Marcel Goch | forward | 24.08.1983 | 185 | 92 |
| Dominic Kagun | forward | 02.07.1995 | 180 | 80 |
| Markus Kink | forward | 13.01.1985 | 186 | 96 |
| Frank Mauer | forward | 12.04.1988 | 184 | 90 |
| Brooks Macek | forward | 15.05.1992 | 181 | 82 |
| Marcel Knoebels | forward | 14.03.1992 | 189 | 87 |
| Matthias Plachta | forward | 16.05.1991 | 184 | 101 |
| Leonard Pföderl | forward | 01.09.1993 | 183 | 85 |
| Patrick Rymer | forward | 10.12.1982 | 179 | 86 |
| Gerrit Fauser | forward | 13.07.1989 | 182 | 87 |
| Patrick Hager | forward | 08.09.1988 | 178 | 83 |
| Felix Schutz | forward | 03.11.1987 | 178 | 84 |
| Yasin Ehliz | forward | 30.12.1992 | 177 | 84 |
Key tags:
In the final of the hockey tournament, which will be held on the final day of the Olympics on February 25, the Russian hockey players will compete with the German national team in the fight for gold medals. This team made a real splash at the Olympics in Pyeongchang. Having lost the first two matches of the group stage (to the Finns 2:5, to the Swedes 0:1), they defeated Norway in shootouts 2:1. In the quarter-finals of the playoffs, the German team went through the qualifying round, beating the Swiss in extra time with a score of 2:1. And then two victories followed: over the Swedes in the quarterfinals (4:3 in overtime) and over the Canadians in the semifinals (4:3).
What successes did German hockey players achieve?
The German national ice hockey team is considered one of the oldest in Europe; it played its first official match in 1910 with Switzerland. The team won medals at the Olympic Games twice, and bronze both times: in 1932 in Lake Placid and in 1976 in Innsbruck.
As for the modern national team, its history dates back to 1991, when the national teams of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany united under the leadership of the German Hockey Federation. Never before has this team made it to the semi-finals and finals of the Olympic Games. Before the current Olympics, the best result of German hockey players was reaching the quarterfinals in 2002 in Salt Lake City.
At the next Games, which took place in Turin in 2006, the German team did not make it out of the group; four years later in Vancouver, it failed to overcome the qualifying round. The German team failed to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Games.
Who plays for the German national team in Pyeongchang?
Absolutely all hockey players playing for the German national team at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang play in the German championship for the strongest local clubs. According to the Sports Review publication, a sufficient number of famous European and North American hockey players play in the German league, and the salaries of the leading championship clubs are quite high. Therefore, German hockey players can grow and achieve heights in the German championship and not leave anywhere.
The average age of the German national team is approaching 30 years. The main star of the team is the defender Christian Ehrhoff, who spent most of his career in the NHL, after which he returned to Kolner Haie. Also considered one of the old-timers of the national team is the two-time national champion with Red Bull Munich, Yannick Seidenberg. Among the strikers, the naturalized Canadian who plays for the German champion Red Bull Munich deserves attention. Brooks Macek And Dominic Kagun, born in the Czech Republic. Russian hockey fans may be familiar with the striker Felix Schutz, who previously played for four KHL teams: Admiral, Dynamo Riga, Avangard and Torpedo.
Defender Christian Ehrhoff. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The composition of the German national team at the 2018 Olympic Games
Goalkeepers:
- Danny aus den Birken (Red Bull Munich)
- Timo Pielmeier (Ingolstadt)
- Dennis Andras ("Adler Mannheim")
Defenders:
- Daryl Boyle (Red Bull Munich)
- Christian Ehrhoff (Kölner Haie)
- Frank Hoerdler (Eisbären Berlin)
- Björn Krupp (Grizzlies Wolfsburg)
- Moritz Müller (Kölner Haie)
- Yannick Seidenberg (Red Bull Munich)
- Jonas Müller (Eisbären Berlin)
- Denis Royle ("Adler Mannheim")
Forwards:
- Yasin Ehliz (Nuremberg Ice Tigers)
- Gerrit Fauser (Grizzlies Wolfsburg)
- Marcel Goch ("Adler Mannheim") (captain)
- Patrick Hager (Red Bull Munich)
- Dominik Kagun (Red Bull Munich)
- Markus Kink ("Adler Mannheim")
- Brooks Macek (Red Bull Munich)
- Frank Mauer (Red Bull Munich)
- Marcel Knoebels (Eisbären Berlin)
- Leonard Pföderl (Nuremberg Ice Tigers)
- Matthias Plachta ("Adler Mannheim")
- Patrick Reimer (Nuremberg Ice Tigers)
- Felix Schütz (Kölner Haie)
- David Wolf (“Adler Mannheim”).
Who coaches the team?
Since 2015, the head coach and general manager of the German national team is one of the most famous players in the country Marco Sturm. As a hockey player, he played as a left winger.
Head coach of the German national hockey team Marco Sturm. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Sturm's professional career began in 1995, the first two years he played for the German Landshut. From 1997 to 2004 he played in the NHL for the California club San Jose Sharks. In the 2004-2005 season, he played in the German League for Ingolstadt, then returned to the NHL, where he played for various clubs. Sturm spent the last year of his career (2012-2013 season) playing in the German championship for Kolner Haie.
He also played for the national team and was its captain. Participated in three world championships of the strongest division, three Winter Olympic Games (1998 in Nagano, 2002 in Salt Lake City and 2010 in Vancouver), and the 2004 World Cup.
AND Gary Bettman If they shook hands with snow-white smiles on their sleek faces, the Germans would receive serious help from overseas.
The young forward is a rising star in the NHL. The recently transferred forward is very good in the second or third lines of any club. The most experienced defenseman won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with " Boston". Goalkeepers () and (" Islanders") are number two in their clubs, but constantly have playing practice. Power forward, son of the most famous hockey player in the history of German hockey Eric Kuhnhackl, in terms of talent, he didn’t even come close to his father. But he has already won two Stanley Cups as a member. And then there is the defender. However, it is obvious that the Germans lost less from the absence of the NHL than any top team or the Swiss. It's them Germany team defeated in overtime in the 1/8 finals (2:1).
All German players play in the home championship. In Europe, it is ranked sixth after the KHL, Swedish, Finnish, Czech and Swiss leagues. If we judge by the Champions League, and it is difficult to find another criterion for assessing club hockey, then the Germans do not shine. Perhaps many teams still do not take this tournament completely seriously. During the four years of its existence, the Germans never advanced beyond the 1/8 finals.
WITHOUT BASIC CLUB
At the same time, considering the domestic championship to be passable is a clear manifestation of snobbery. Germany is full of former NHL players. And in the current team, the key figures are the defender, who played at the World Cup for European team a year and a half ago, and the striker . The first, including the playoffs, played more than 850 matches in the NHL, the second - over 700. This is the level!
The championship has been dominating in recent years" Munich", who has won two titles in a row and is leading this season with 35 wins in 49 games. He, like " Mannheim", represented on the Olympic team by six players." Eisbären", "Cologne" And " Nuremberg"they delegated three people each," Wolfsburg" - two, " Ingolstadt" - one. There is no need to talk about the base club, remembering. Although " Munich", thanks to the Red Bull corporation, the largest budget in the league. In general, the tournament is quite even, there are leaders and outsiders. However, there is no huge gap in class between the teams, so there are plenty of hard-fought matches.
The players in the team are average by world standards. Star level , , , in Germany national team No. However, for Europe, the Germans can be considered quite qualified craftsmen. A few years ago, the German forward had a good season in the KHL, scoring 38 points and becoming the team's top scorer, making his debut in the KHL. He didn’t stay in Russia, but in two years he played for four clubs. The 22-year-old forward of Czech origin is very good and NHL clubs are looking at him. A tightly built, even, very disciplined and hostile team for opponents - this is the current team Germany team.
SUCCESS AND COACHES
It hasn’t happened often in recent history, but it has surprised us before. For example, in 1992, the Germans at the Albertville Olympics lost in the quarterfinals only in a series of post-match shots. In 2010 Germany team at the home world championship she reached the semi-finals, where she missed the decisive goal from the Russians Datsyuk two minutes before the end of the third period and lost 1:2.
A year later, the Germans were stronger in the group - 2:0, not allowing the Russian attack led by Kovalchuk,
Germany in Pyeongchang 2018: storming the Olympics without Draisaitl
The German team returned to the Olympics after eight years.
We continue the series of articles about the participants of the upcoming Olympics. Next up.
Slovenia in Pyeongchang 2018: without Kopitar and with nostalgia for Sochi
With a Finnish coach, an age group and without its main star - this is how Slovenia will be at the Olympics.
Performance history
In their entire history, German teams have reached medals only twice. The first time this happened was back in 1932. Then in Lake Placid the German team took bronze, and it cannot be said that these awards were won in a fierce battle. In total, four teams took part in the tournament, and to get into the top three, it was enough to defeat only the Polish team.
The second success is associated with the German national team, which achieved success in 1976. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Innsbruck there were already 12 participants, and in the so-called final round, in which the six strongest teams played each other, the German team was ahead of the Finns and Americans in the fight for bronze medals in terms of additional indicators.
There were also relatively recent local achievements. The German national team looked very good in the 90s. She also beat our team at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer.
Guide to Pyeongchang. Everything you need to know about the Olympic hockey tournament
Including various interesting and unusual facts.
Regression in results
Back in 1992, the German national team fought with the Canadians to reach the semifinals of the Albertville Olympics, giving way to the founders of hockey only in a series of free throws. But less than 15 years have passed since serious problems emerged in German hockey.
The Germans did not qualify for the Olympics in Sochi and failed the Games in Vancouver and Turin. The German team won its last victory in the most prestigious hockey tournament in Salt Lake City in 2002. In other words, the German national team has not won even at the group stage for 16 years.
And the periodic changes in the coaching staff are a reflection of everything that has happened to German hockey this decade. Mentor Uwe Krupp, who led the team before the Olympics in Turin, although he did not achieve any achievements at the main competitions of the four-year period, he adequately led the team to the World Championships. That’s why he served in the post for just over five years. Then the situation only worsened.
In 2011 he headed the national team Jacob Kölliker. With him, the Germans failed the home selection for the Sochi Olympics and frankly performed poorly at the World Championships held in Stockholm and Helsinki. The Swiss was dismissed in 2013. A Canadian specialist took his place Pat Cortina. However, this change did not bear any fruit. The Canadian coach faced the same fate as his predecessor. The current mentor was appointed in 2015.
Head coach.
The German hockey legend was unemployed for about two years. In 2013, 34-year-old Sturm announced his retirement from his playing career. In 2015, Marco was invited to the post of head coach of the national team. He also took the position of general manager of the national team. Time has shown that this appointment was absolutely the right decision in a difficult situation. It is impossible to immediately improve the game, so the first World Championship as a coach for Marco Sturm, as expected, ended in failure. But Sturm did not come to the national team for the sake of immediate tasks. It was necessary to pass the selection process - the goal was ultimately achieved. In qualifying, the German team, led by a young coach, defeated the Austrians, Japanese and Latvians. This allowed us to take first place in the quartet, which gave us a ticket to the Olympics.
In addition, at the last two world championships, Marco Sturm’s team reached the quarterfinals. At four planetary championships in a row - 2012-2015. – the German team did not qualify from the group.
Towards Russia. Canada beat electrifying Germany
The Canadian team beat the Germans with some difficulty and reached the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup, where they will play against the Russian team.
As for the upcoming Olympics, it will be Marco Sturm's debut as a head coach. An interesting fact: in the 21st century, Sturm attends the Olympic Games as part of the national team every eight years. As a player, he came to the 2002 Olympics and the 2010 Olympics. Sturm will be at the Olympics again eight years after the Games in Vancouver.
Compound
The German team will go to the Olympics with the following composition.
Goalkeepers: Denny aus den Birken (Red Bull Munich), Dennis Endras (Adler Mannheim), Timo Pielmeier (Ingolstadt).
Defenders: Denis Reul (Adler Mannheim), Yannick Seidenberg, Daryl Boyle (all Red Bull Munich), Christian Ehrhoff, Moritz Müller (both Kölner Haie), Bjorn Krupp (Grizzlies Wolfsburg), Jonas Müller, Frank Hordler (both Eisbären Berlin).
Forwards: Brooks Macek, Frank Mauer, Patrick Hager (all Red Bull Munich), Matthias Plachta, Markus Kink, David Wolf, Marcel Goch (all Adler Mannheim), Felix Schütz (Kölner Haie), Patrick Reimer, Yasin Elise, Leonard Pfoderl (all - Nuremberg Ice Tigers), Gerrit Fauser (Wolfsburg Grizzlies), Marcel Knoebels (Eisbären Berlin).
If we single out a star among the Germans, then this title is most applicable to Marcel Goch. The experienced forward, who once played in the NHL, is going to the Olympic Games for the third time. Among the Germans, only Christian Ehrhoff, for whom the upcoming Olympics will be the fourth in his career.
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But these hockey players are long past their peak, so some titles are very arbitrary. If I had been in the team, things would have been different. It’s no wonder that the forward is one of Edmonton’s top scorers this season. 22-year-old Draisaitl has been holding his own for the third season in a row.
Among the others who did end up on the roster, . The forward is 22 years old and is having a great season with Munich. In 40 matches, Kahun scored 40 (12+28) points. Club statistics can often be deceiving, but Dominic is also good in the national team. At the German Cup, he did not miss a single match, scoring 3 points (0+3) for the entire tournament.
The Germans also have a good goalkeeper line. Each of the three goalkeepers is capable of performing consistently, so the German national team has no problems in this position.
Tournament ambitions
The most correct way to judge the national team is by the German Cup. This is the last tournament of the national team, where the best forces were thrown into battle. There the Germans took third place, beating only the Americans in a head-to-head match, who looked disgusting. Based on this, we can draw a disappointing conclusion for Marco Sturm’s squad. Neither Gotsch nor Ehrhoff were present at home matches, but they are unlikely to bring much to the German game. The team lacks skill. We can only guess what form the German team will be in for the Olympics, but if we look at the quality of the lines, we see that most competitors have stronger performers in each role. This was evidenced by the compiled ratings.
And the Canadian offense without NHL players is only in third place.
If the difference in class is small, then it can be leveled out by physical fitness, morale, tactical decisions, that is, those factors that can help in the short term. The Germans faced such a group that it would be incredibly difficult to take a place higher than third in it, even if all of the above factors came together in the best way for the Bundesteam.
The German national team is capable of beating the Norwegians, but against the Swedes and Finns you need luck raised to the ninth power. It seems likely that the Germans will lose in the match leading up to the quarter-finals. But even if you are lucky with your opponent in the playoff qualifications, you will not be able to get further than the 1/4 finals.
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