22-year-old Hallgeir Engebråten delivered a solid bottom of 5000 meters during the European Championships in single distances in Heerenveen. The Norwegian finished in 6.13.67, securing a very impressive and surprising European Championship bronze.
– Today it was fun to go ice skating. Absolutely amazing to be able to set a speed I felt was pretty cheap the first five laps and then just float there. Then it was just working when it started to hurt. Absolutely magical! said Engebråten to Viaplay.
Opposite the channel, he described the medal as the greatest he could achieve now.
The Norwegian skating comet beat names like Sven Kramer, Bart Swings and Sverre Lunde Pedersen, and was only beaten by the Dutch Patrick Roest and Jorrit Bergsma.
Pedersen lost a duel for an Olympic ticket
The lightning-fast 5000-meter entails more than just a European Championship medal. The European Championship was a pure duel between Engebråten and Sverre Lunde Pedersen for the only Norwegian place in the distance during the winter Olympics in Beijing.
– That’s what I train for and have worked for for many years. It means a lot to prove that I am good enough, said Engebråten, who thus becomes the Norwegian 5000 meter hope in Beijing at the expense of Pedersen.
Osingen, who took Olympic bronze in the distance in Pyeongchang, fell badly on a bicycle in May and has struggled to stabilize at his highest level since the 2018 Olympic Games.
In Heerenveen on Saturday, Pedersen spent 7.32 seconds more than his compatriot in the 5000 meters. Thus, he loses the opportunity to fight for a new Olympic medal in the distance.
Earlier Saturday, Henrik Fagerli Rukke, Bjørn Magnussen and Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen won European Championship silver in team sprint.
Ragne Wiklund was number five, 1, 4 seconds behind winner Antoinette de Jong in the women’s 1500 meters.
The case is being updated!
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