Berlin – Ice hockey in August? At the end of summer vacation? And before that, five days in personal quarantine? It didn’t take long for Julia Zorn to take part in the World Championships in Calgary, Canada, starting Friday (August 31). “A World Cup is something very special, I am extremely honored to be here,” the national team captain said: “You don’t have to look for inspiration.
Unequal treatment between men and women?
It was different a few months ago, when the World Cup, originally scheduled for spring in Halifax and Truro, was canceled shortly before the German team left because of the coronavirus. There was criticism from those responsible – including anger. “Our season has come to an end in the blink of an eye in the most shocking and unexpected way,” the 31-year-old attacker rebuked at the time and also hinted at the disparity of treatment between men and women.
The 211-time national admitted, “There were many players – including me – who had fallen into the abyss of inspiration after being canceled in the spring.” world Cup.”
With success – even if the Summer World Cup is tied to the circumstances. To start the tournament, players had to remain in personal quarantine for five days after arriving in Canada. But there was no major boredom or bad mood, daily workouts, tactical discussions and meditation units provided variety. “We met and played games online as a team in the evenings,” revealed Zorn. Appropriately, the game “Escape Room” was at the top of the popularity list.
Strong harmony and a good mood
This has resulted in increased cohesion in a strongly rejuvenating team, and a surprisingly good atmosphere regardless of the circumstances. Due to the highly unusual timing, not all of Germany’s top players are in the starts. Striker Anne Bartsch also had to return home early after breaking her arm in training. “We have a lot of players from the World Cup,” said Zorn, “but that doesn’t mean the team is bad because of it.” The goal is still the quarter finals.
At the start of a group of five, the team of new coach Thomas Schadler, who has only been in charge since the end of May, will face Hungary on Friday (8 p.m. CEST). Other rivals in the preliminary round are Denmark, the Czech Republic and Japan. The World Cup is also important for DEB selection due to the upcoming Olympic qualification in Füssen in November.
