Felix Maly will not participate in the World Allround Speed Skating Championship on March 7 and 8 in Heerenveen, citing solidarity with his teammate Fridtjof Petzold, who was removed from the German national team.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch news outlet, reports on the situation involving the German skaters and team dynamics.
The 31-year-old Felix Maly withdrew from the competition after his 28-year-old teammate Fridtjof Petzold was excluded from the German team. Petzold had publicly criticized the Deutsche Eisschnelllauf- und Shorttrack-Gemeinschaft (DESG) following his final race in Milan, pointing to structural problems within the federation and insufficient support during the Olympic Games. Shortly after his remarks, Petzold was officially removed from the national team, which prevents him from participating in upcoming events.
In a statement to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Maly described it as problematic that public criticism leads to sporting consequences such as bans from competition. He emphasized that top-level sports require fair and transparent conditions for athletes.
In another development, Jeremy Wotherspoon has announced his departure from the Norwegian skating federation after ten years. The former Canadian sprint champion will assume the role of NextGen long track coach for Speed Skating Canada. His contract with Norges Skøyteforbund (NSF) will conclude on March 31.
