At the age of 25: Short tracker Seidel ends her career

Short-tracker Anna Seidel has ended her career one week before her 26th birthday. After a one-year break from competition, the Dresden native will not be returning to the ice, her management announced on Sunday. "I am incredibly grateful for everything I have experienced in my career. It was an intense, but also very beautiful time," said the two-time 2021 European Championship silver medallist.

The three-time Olympian will move the center of her life to the USA, it was reported. Her boyfriend, national ice hockey player Moritz Seider, plays in the North American professional league NHL for the Detroit Red Wings. "Now I'm looking forward to everything new that's coming," explained Seidel.

The 1000 and 1500 meter specialist made her World Cup debut as a 15-year-old in 2013 and took part in the Winter Olympics for the first time that winter in Sochi, Russia. At the time, she was considered an exceptional talent in her sport. In addition to two silver medals, she won five bronze medals at the European Championships between 2016 and 2023. Last September, the 25-year-old then announced that she was taking time out due to physical and mental exhaustion. During this time, she came to the realization that she would not return to competitive sport.