Marten Liiv

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Name of coach	Erwin ten Hove [club], NED
Reason for choosing this sport	"My brother started speed skating before me. He is older than me and I was just following him. I also started this sport because I came from Jogeva County, more precisely four kilometres from Adavere, Estonia, where there was a skating rink. Another important reason is definitely [Estonian speed skating coach] Vaino Treiman, who revived speed skating in Adavere."
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began speed skating at age 10 in Adavere, Estonia. "During high school, I played football in the Estonian tier three league. It was more for fun, not a serious sport. I quit in 2015 after accepting an invitation to attend a speed skating academy in Germany."
Club / Team	Team IKO: Heerenveen, NED

Injuries	In January 2022 he fell while he was cycling and injured his ankle. He then had to withdraw from the 2022 European Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (martenliiv.ee, 21 Mar 2022; Facebook page, 07 Jan 2022) In 2019 he sustained a concussion. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022) He began experiencing knee problems in 2015. The issue continued to affect him into 2017. (Athlete, 26 Nov 2018)
Most influential person in career	His first coach Vaino Treiman. (elmar.elu24.ee, 20 Jan 2020; Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)
Hero / Idol	US basketball player Kevin Durant, Dutch speed skater Kjeld Nuis. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning bronze in the 1000m at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Changchun, People's Republic of China. (Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)
Other sports	In 2016 and 2018 he won the Tartu Inline Skating Marathon in Estonia. (sport.err.ee, 26 Aug 2018; sport.delfi.ee, 22 Aug 2016)
Ambitions	To win a medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022)
Other information	MOVE TO THE NETHERLANDS In May 2020 he relocated to Heerenveen, Netherlands, to train with Team IKO. "Speed ??skating is very popular in the Netherlands. As the ice forms, thousands of people go skating. I had never seen anything like this before. Football is, of course, number one, but speed skating competitions are also visited by thousands of people. I was received very warmly, which helped a lot. I live in the small town of Heerenveen, which has about 50-60 thousand inhabitants. The Dutch language is really difficult. Fortunately, people of all ages speak English here. But the exercises are written in Dutch, so I can understand the basics." (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022; sport.err.ee, 07 Mar 2021; Athlete, 15 Nov 2019; sport.postimees.ee, 09 May 2019)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"You can't win unless you learn how to lose." (martenliiv.ee, 17 May 2021)
Awards and honours	He was named the 2021/22 Best Male Speed Skater by the Estonian Skating Union. (vooremaa.ee, 13 May 2022; Instagram profile, 12 May 2022)