Unbelievable: The German recorder at the Beijing Olympics has rewritten history despite her last place! – Športky.sk

BEIJING – Claudia Pechstein, a 49-year-old German speed skater, has become the oldest woman to ever start at the Winter Olympics.

She lost the record, but rewrote history

With her equally record eighth five-lap event, she finished 20th in the 3,000-meter race. She lost more than 20 seconds to the winning Dutchwoman Irene Schouten, who deprived her of the Olympic record.

“It wasn’t so much a result today. The important thing is that I’m here and I can race,” said Pechstein, who raised her hands above her head after reaching the finish line. “I wasn’t very fast, but I still have reason to smile because my dream of racing at eight games came true.” added the flagship of the German team at Friday’s opening ceremony.

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Source: SITA / AP / Jae C. Hong

Olympic recorder

Five-time Olympic winner Pechstein surpassed Anne Abernathy, a US-born sledgewoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who was 48 years old at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. At the same time, she caught up with the Japanese jumper Noriaki Kasai, so far the only eight-time participant in the Winter Olympics.

A native of Berlin, she first introduced herself in five circles in 1992 in Albertville. The holder of nine Olympic medals lost her participation in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver due to doping. Although she never had a positive test and always denied cheating, she received a two-year sentence based on suspicious blood test results.

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• Source: CTK