From Saturday to Sunday, the World Cup finals in the categories juniors and the U23 class will take place on the Innsbrucker Open-air oval in the Olympiaworld. Also taking part is 21-year-old Gabriel Odor, one of the two Austrian Olympic participants in this sport.

The man from Grinzen qualifies for his first Olympic Games in his special discipline mass start, where he won junior world champion in 2019 and the silver medal the following year. After a seventh place at the European Championships in Heerenveen, the home races in Innsbruck will now be his last dress rehearsal before leaving for Beijing.
“I’m happy about a qualitatively good mass start and I hope that I can get extra motivation for the games with a good race again,” the local hero looked ahead. He will compete in the 3,000 meters on Saturday, followed by the mass start on Sunday.

“I can still remember the last Junior World Cup here in Innsbruck. It was a great weekend where I was able to achieve four top results. Running here again before my absolute highlight of the season is something very special,” said the 21-year-old, who is starting in the U23 men’s class.

His teammate Ignaz Gschwentner will also compete in Innsbruck with the best runners in the U23 category. He started in the sprint disciplines over 500 and 1,000 meters. In the juniors, hopes for a top result rest on Alexander Farthofer’s shoulders. The junior from Wörgl is currently in second place in the overall World Cup for the mass start, but just missed the podium by a hair’s breadth in fourth and fifth place at the first two World Cups of the season in Inzell.
Together with the juniors Hanna Müller and Jeannine Rosner, the 16-year-old has already bought his ticket for the Junior World Championships, which will also take place in Innsbruck a week later. That changed in his first junior season
Farthofer qualified for all five individual distances.

The competitions in Innsbruck begin on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. with the 1,000 meters. On the first day the 3,000 meters and the team sprint will be run, on Sunday the 500, 1,500 meters and the mass start will be on the agenda. Almost 200 participants from 24 nations have registered for the race in Innsbruck and are at the start. Due to the current corona restrictions, no spectators are allowed. The races can be followed live via streamster.tv.

List ÖESV ISU Junior World Cup Innsbruck 2022:
Juniors:
Alexander FARTHOFER (SC Latella Woergl)
Enrico GERBER-DELLA PIETRA (USCI Innsbruck)
Tobias WOLF (ASKÖ Weiz)
Hanna MUELLER (EV Weissensee)
Jeannine ROSNER (USCI Innsbruck)

U23:
Ignaz GSCHWENTNER (USCI Innsbruck)
Gabriel ODOR (USCI Innsbruck)
Anna MOLNAR (USCI Innsbruck)
Katharina THIEN (Grazer Short Track Dragons)
Program ISU Junior World Cup Innsbruck 2022:

Saturday:
1,000 meters
3,000 meters
team sprint
Sunday:
500 meters
1,500 meters
mass start

Media info Austrian Speed ​​Skating Association

01/21/2022