Today the national team starts the “Olympic adventure” / A crazy trip is ahead
Short night, long day: After the German national ice hockey team arrived back at the team hotel around 2 a.m. yesterday after their successful general dress-up in Switzerland (1:1 nV) and had a quick snack , most people's alarm clocks went off again at 6.30:XNUMX a.m. The plan was to have a quick breakfast, pack, train briefly and then finally go on the big trip DEB-Selection on Wednesday morning. Next destination: Pyeongchang, South Korea, 2018 Winter Olympics.
It is clear that the team of national coach Marco Sturm has a long day ahead of them. First, the team travels to Munich Airport, where checking in their luggage alone is a major challenge. After all, 25 ice hockey bags, four stick bags and several boxes of equipment for the coaches, doctors and physiotherapists have to be stowed away. This is a lot of time, and could take even longer, because it is a scheduled flight that has been sold out since August and has regular passengers on board in addition to the German snowboarders.
“The Lufthansa flight is basically the last opportunity to safely take part in the opening ceremony. The machine has therefore been full for a long time,” said DEB-Sports director Stefan Schaidnagel, who has been in the Olympic Village for three days with his coach Marco Nachrichter to welcome the national team in top condition. Schaidnagel's advice to the national players: pack warm clothes. The last temperature was minus 14 degrees.
Following a lunch together at Munich Airport, the plane takes off for South Korea at 16.10:XNUMX p.m. After a flight that lasted around ten hours, the German entourage is expected in Seoul around ten a.m. South Korean time on Thursday morning. This is followed by another three-hour bus ride to the Olympic sports facilities. The first meeting is scheduled for the evening so that the national players can get some sleep after a long day and a short night. Then the “Olympic adventure” really begins...