Olympian Fridtjof Petzold has heavily criticized the German speed skating and short track community and expressed his frustration after his final race at the Winter Games in Italy. Petzold said after his exit in the semi-finals of the mass start competition that the association was run unprofessionally, from the executive board to the support provided by the coaches at the Olympics.

“This is happening at all levels. But I think, especially now with the media attention, we just have to point out that a few things are going wrong,” he explained.

There is a fundamental structural problem in the DESG, emphasized Petzold. “I would say that a lot of families simply bring their people in there,” said Petzold. There are also those responsible who are “very close” to President Matthias Große. “Of course everyone is afraid to say anything because they are worried about their job and then losing it.”

Petzold spoke above all of a disturbed relationship with the all-round national coach Alexis Contin, who is based at the base in Berlin. There have been “personal differences” with the Frenchman since the end of last season. The 28-year-old explained that the DESG assured him before the season that they wanted “the best possible care for all athletes.”

Petzold speaks of psychological stress

“Things have developed a bit in the opposite direction in the last few weeks,” emphasized Petzold. At the Winter Games in Italy, the support was not as desired. There were arguments between the team pursuit runners and Contin. This put a lot of psychological strain on him.

Also in mass start Petzold said that the care was not what he had imagined. “The national coach who has the most expertise in the mass start is Alexis Contin,” said the Saxony native. “I also wished that he would be here on the ice today. But he didn’t want that.” Instead, he was looked after by the Dutch national sprint coach Aart van der Wulp from Erfurt.

DESG sports director Nadine Seiden Glanz, who is married to Contin, cannot understand Petzold’s criticism. “He was fully cared for, just as we laid out last night,” she said. “We take complete care of all athletes and have only the best interest of the athletes in mind.”

Report on umbrella organization causes a stir

Already at the beginning of the Olympic competitions it had Fuss about the DESG given. A “Sportschau” report about alleged irregularities at the DESG and a strained relationship between some athletes and the top of the association caused unrest. The DESG leadership initially did not comment on the allegations and announced a press conference after the Winter Games at which they would provide a comprehensive statement.

Petzold said he wasn’t hoping for “anything special” from the press conference. “I’m most curious to see how we’ll talk our way out of this and who the scapegoat will be in the end.”