Vanessa Herzog

www.facebook.com/Vanessa.Herzog.Speedskating/
twitter.com/nessi1995
www.vanessaherzog.at/

When and where did you begin this sport?	She began skating in 2001 in Innsbruck, Austria.
Reason for choosing this sport	"I grew up next to an ice skating rink and one day I joined my cousin in speed skating. The combination of strength, smoothness, grace and speed is unique. If you are in good shape and you enter the curve at about 55km per hour, it's an indescribable feeling."
Club / Team	Team Reggeborgh: Netherlands
Name of coach	Thomas Herzog [husband], AUT, from 2017

Other information	TRAINING WITH HER IDOL In 2020 she entered into a training collaboration with Dutch speed skater Ireen Wust. The pair arranged a number of training camps together in different locations ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. "Wust has always been an idol of mine. She is a role model in terms of attitude, ambition and willingness to train and is therefore very similar to me. I think this collaboration will help me a lot in the 1000m. I think it is a good combination. She is also happy. She also wants to concentrate on the shorter distances. It helps if a fast woman can ride with her or drive up. She benefits from my sprint and speed strength, I benefit from her many years of endurance and competition experience." (austrian-ice-racers.com, 17 Jun 2020; schaatsen.nl, 07 May 2020; spox.com, 16 Jun 2020; kaernten.orf.at, 06 May 2020) FAMILY AFFAIR Her husband Thomas also works as her coach. "Thomas is with me every training and he sees everything I do. When I'm a bit sloppy for only a second, he keeps me sharp and helps me to raise my level time and again. There aren't many speed skaters in Austria and I train alone a lot. It really helps me to have Thomas around, otherwise I would go crazy." (isu.org, 25 Feb 2019) TRAINING ACCIDENT In April 2017 she was training on her bicycle when she was hit by a truck. The accident occurred when the vehicle made an unexpected turn and Herzog was unable to brake fast enough. She was fortunate to escape with only minor cuts and bruises, despite having her leg run over. "I have been very lucky. At first I did not realise what had happened to me. It was only later when I was in the car that it hit me. I had a thousand guardian angels. It is a miracle that I escaped worse injuries." (schaatsen.nl, 11 Apr 2017)
Ambitions	To win a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (schaatsen.nl, 03 May 2019; kleinezeitung.at, 29 Jul 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Don't think, just skate." (Athlete, 22 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	German speed skater Anni Friesinger-Postma, Dutch speed skater Ireen Wust. (kaernten.orf.at, 06 May 2020; Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)
Other sports	She has represented Austria in roller speed skating. She won gold in the 500m sprint and bronze in the 1000m sprint at the 2018 World Championships in Arnhem, Netherlands. She has also competed in athletics at national level in Austria. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Oct 2018; kleinezeitung.at, 29 Jul 2018; meinbezirk.at, 17 Apr 2018)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the 500m at the 2019 World Single Distances Championships in Inzell, Germany. (Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)
Most influential person in career	Her husband Thomas Herzog. (Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)
Hobbies	Travel, sports, reading, spending time outdoors. (kleinezeitung.at, 29 Jul 2018; olympia.at, 19 Feb 2018)
Famous relatives	Her husband Thomas Herzog has served as her coach. (Athlete, 22 Nov 2018)
Milestones	She became the first Austrian athlete to win a medal in roller speed skating at the world championships when she claimed gold [500m] and bronze [1000m] at the 2018 edition in Arnhem, Netherlands. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Oct 2018; vanessaherzog.at, 04 Jul 2018; Facebook page, 02 Jul 2018, 01 Jul 2018)
Awards and honours	She was named Carinthian Sportswoman of the Year in Austria in 2019 and 2020. (Facebook page, 07 Dec 2020) She was named Austrian Sportswoman of the Year in 2019. (tt.com, 05 Apr 2020)