The dream of representing Australia at the Winter Olympics has been the driving force behind Daniel Greig’s decision to swap his beloved rollerblades for the his ice skates.

The Sochi 2014 Olympian is a two-time Junior Inline Skating World Champion and still represents Australia in the European Inline Cup in the Summer, but swaps the sun for the ice just before the Inline World Championships to pursue his Olympic aspirations.

“I used to compete at the Inline World Championships fairly regularly,” Greig said.

“But the problem I have these days is the World Champs are far too close to the ice skating season, so the last few years I have opted out of the World Championships.

“I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to skate the Inline World Championships this year because my results at the European Inline Cup were so good, with a second place, a couple of fifth places, and lots of top-10 places.

“But the downside to that sport for me is that it’s not an Olympic sport and the Olympics is something I had to do.”

The 26-year-old moved from his home in Adelaide straight after high school to pursue his skating passion and got seriously into the ice sport at the age of 20, not too long before the Vancouver 2010 Games.

He quickly realised that over a decade of inline skating transferred to strong results on the ice.

“I wasn’t expecting to qualify for Vancouver but I was at the qualification competition and I missed out on qualifying by six-hundredths of a second.

“At first I wasn’t expecting that but when I saw I was so close it was heartbreaking because perhaps I had set my goals too low but I had no idea what my potential on ice was.”

Four years later the South Australian was not going to let that opportunity slip through his fingers again and he qualified for Sochi in the men’s 500m and 1000m events.

Greig had a character building Olympic debut as he suffered every skater's worst nightmare when he fell in the opening seconds of his first 500m race - his pet event that he won a World Championship medal in just weeks before the Games. He admirably returned to the ice for his second 500m, despite knowing he could not improve his placing of 39th.

A couple of days later, the then 22-year-old put the demons of his 500m race behind him and clocked a great 1000m race, with a really fast 600m split time that showed he had what it took in his pet event. He finished 22nd in the 1000m.
“I had a lot of mixed feeling about Sochi because for the whole four years leading up I was just planning on participating at the Olympics.

“Then after I medaled at the World Championships right before I thought that maybe I could win a medal, so for that whole Olympics I was emotionally torn.

“I can’t honestly say those Olympics were a pleasant experience for me.”

With his Games debut now behind him, the mechanical engineer is more prepared and focused than ever before.

“Above all I am hoping I can go to these Olympics and now I have a fairly good idea at what to expect, I hope I can make it a more pleasant experience for myself and enjoy the racing a bit more.

“I’m not too worried about qualifying for PyeongChang but my goals are that I want to qualify as high as possible for a good seeding.

“It’s not possible for me to train any harder than I did this summer.”

Greig is currently at a training camp in Norway getting used to having his ice skates back on.

“I’m spending a lot of time on the ice getting my technique right. I have to work a bit harder on that than ice skating athletes who have done it their whole lives because my body is used to inline.

“At the start of every season I have to learn a few new things again because they’re not naturally engrained in me, but I always seem to be good at getting faster in January and February which is what I want. I have trust in my process for that.”

The first Speed Skating World Cup is in Heerenveen (NED) on November 10.

Greig will compete at four World Cups across November and December, as per the qualification process for PyeongChang 2018.

Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

PYEONGCHANG 2018: There are just 200 days to go until Australia’s finest winter athletes hit the ice and snow for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

To celebrate the milestone the Australian Olympic Committee has launched its dedicated PyeongChang 2018 Team website - http://pyeongchang2018.olympics.com.au/

The site features all the latest news, videos, galleries, athlete information and everything you need to know as Australia builds towards a successful campaign in February, 2018.

“Our athletes continue to focus on their preparations for PyeongChang 2018,” said Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman.

“With just 200 days to go, we are moving into the most critical period in the four-year cycle where athletes need to ensure they qualify.

“Many athletes are currently in Australia competing before they head overseas for the northern hemisphere competitions in the final lead-up to the Winter Games.

“The dedicated website will document each of the athletes journey’s, sharing their stories as they aim for success in just 200 days time.”

The site provides detailed information on the selection process for each sport, detailed venue maps and everything you need to know about each of the Olympic sports.

As each athlete is officially selected onto the Australian Team a full athlete profile will be launched detailing all of their latest news, a detailed biography and snippets you might have never known about some of Australia’s most talented athletes.

As athletes have done for previous Games, we will be taken behind the scenes on their journey’s through athlete blogs that will launch in the coming weeks.

The PyeongChang 2018 schedule is available on the site and during the Games detailed results for each event and Australian athlete will be highlighted.

A dedicated PyeongChang 2018 Australian Olympic Team App will be launched closer to the Games.

Check out the site now>>>
 

Josh Capponi’s outing in the 10,000 metres at the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games proved to be a moment he won’t soon forget with the 22-year old getting the chance to go head-to-head against Olympic gold medallist and event winner Lee Seung-Hoon of Korea.

The emerging athlete considered it a tremendous learning opportunity and rated it his Asian Winter Games highlight.
“For sure he’s an idol,” Capponi said. 

“I was pretty intimidated, but in the end I felt alright because I could race my own race and it was quite an awesome opportunity so I took it with both hands and just went with it.”

The Asian Winter Games men’s 10,000 metres was the first time Capponi has competed at this distance and he finished a credible fifth in the final standings. His time of 14:06.42 was 47.86 seconds off Seung-Hoon’s winning time. 

“The opportunity doesn’t come around very often as they only happen once at World Cups and once at the World Championships. It’s nice to finally have one and now I can work from this,” he said.

Capponi’s race strategy was to stay with the World Champion skater for as long as he could.

“I missed a change and I ended up having to give way to him because the outside lane always has priority so I lost my rhythm and I lost connection with him.

“After that the plan was to stay on my own rhythm, relax and kick in for the last few laps, like I’ve been training for.

“The lap times were a little slower than I wanted. I would have liked 33’s but I was getting 34’s, but I still got that kick in in the end.”

Australia’s sole speed skating competitor at the Sapporo 2017 Asian Winter Games has taken to the ice for the first time, mixing it with some of the best in the sport to come away with a promising result. 

Netherlands-based West Australian born athlete Josh Capponi placed seventh in the 11 strong field of the men’s 5,000 metres on the opening day of competition at the Obihiro Forest Skating Oval.

Capponi raced home in a time of 6:48.37 which was 24 seconds behind gold medallist Lee Seung-hoon of Korea.
The 22-year-old didn’t achieve his goal of setting a new personal best but he was happy with his performance given the times posted by his some of his competitors.

“The guys who finished fifth and sixth are quite a lot faster than me,” Capponi explained.

“Normally they skate 6 minutes 28 seconds and here they skated 6 minutes 40 seconds and 6 minutes 41 seconds, so normally they’re about 16 seconds faster than me but here they were only seven seconds,” he said. 

Capponi was excited to go up against some of the world’s best speed skaters.

“Normally I’m in B group and most of these guys are in A group. The winner is an Olympic champion and there are three or four others who are in the top 24 in the world so the level is quite high.”

The 22-year-old was nervous to be taking on a high calibre field.

“For the start you have to stand perfectly still and I could feel my arms trembling.

“I thought I was going to be recalled back to the start line but I guess I could control it just enough so it was all good.
“Normally I’m racing in B group and that’s not televised. I knew my parents were watching and some other friends and family back home so I felt more pressure.”

Capponi has a rest day today before returning to the ice on Wednesday where he will race a 10,000 metre event for the first time.

“I’ve been really consistent in training over the last two weeks building towards this race so it will be interesting to see what I can do on Wednesday.”

Full results and live streaming of the Asian Winter Games is available on the Sapporo 17 website. 

Michelle Cook

Warm and friendly greetings have been extended to the Australian team as part of the official Asian Winter Games welcome ceremony.
 
The Games, which begin in Sapporo on Sunday 19 February, have attracted 1,200 athletes from 32 countries and it is the first occasion that Australia has received an invitation to participate.
 
Australia joined with delegates from Pakistan and Lebanon to mark its official arrival to the Games and the proceedings included a flag raising ceremony, playing of the national anthems and meet and greet with the Games’ official mascot Ezomon.
 
Australia’s opening ceremony flag bearer Deanna Lockett played an active role, presenting the Sapporo 2017 Organising Committee with a team scarf. In exchange, Lockett accepted a traditional Japanese gift of 1,000 paper cranes which was given to wish the athletes a safe and successful visit to Sapporo. The gift was handcrafted by local children with each crane made one-by-one.
 
Australian Biathlete Jeremy Flanagan was among the group of athletes in attendance and he was excited to make the ceremony having arrived in Sapporo from Kazakhstan the same day.    

Even though it is still early stages, the 21-year-old said the Asian Winter Games was nothing like he had seen before.
 
“Probably the biggest competition I’ve ever seen,” Flanagan said. “At my last event at the World University Games there were eight other Australians, here there’s 30 along with a whole support network. I’ve never had that before.”
 
Flanagan is one of a number of Aussies who are experiencing a multi-sport competition for the first time.
 
“I’m really excited to compete.  Pulling the Australian lycra out of my team bag was awesome.”
 
The Asian Winter Games begins Sunday with Aussies Christian De Oliveira, Nick Masjuk and Mille Bongiorno in action in the Snow Board Giant Slalom.
 

SPEED SKATING: Asian Winter Games athlete Josh Capponi was 18 when he relocated to Holland to further pursue his speed skating ambitions. His parents thought he would stay for six months. That was four years ago.
 
“I’ve only been home 14 weeks in three years, but I’m used to it now,” Capponi said.
 
“I live with (Australian skater) Daniel Greig and two Dutch girls so we’ve kind of got our own little family.”
 
Life in Holland has been a big adjustment for the young Western Australian who has also had to overcome language barriers.  
 
“I didn’t really learn the language at first but in the last two years I’ve picked a lot up. I can understand almost everything and speak Dutch if I need to.”  
 
With World Championships’ and now the Asian Winter Games under his belt, Caponni is etching closer to his ultimate goal of representing Australia at the Olympic Games.
 
“I’m definitely going in a good direction and I think I’m pretty close. I’m on that edge where you either make it or you don’t.
 
“Hopefully my name is on that list in 10 months time.”
 
The emerging skater will compete in the 5,000m and 10,000m events and sees the Asian Winter Games as a good dress rehearsal for the Olympics.  
 
“Pretty awesome to be here,” he said. “The Asians are pretty strong with ice skating especially in long distance and that’s my focus.
 
“It’s nice to be here and I really like Japan so that’s also good."
 
Capponi is Australia’s sole representative in the Asian Winter Games Speed Skating competition. His first event, the 5,000m, is on Monday 22 February. 
 
 Michelle Cook

Daniel Greig will get his first look at the 2018 Olympic track on Friday when he competes at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Gangneung, South Korea.

Australia’s top long track speed skater has qualified for both the 500m and 1000m event at the Championships, which double as an Olympic Test Event.

However, a back injury after the last World Cup in Berlin has forced Greig to change up his game plan for the two races.

“If you had asked me a week ago before Berlin, my goal for this event would have been quite different,” the 25-year-old said.

“Now my goal is to race two solid, stable races and then look ahead to the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Calgary, Canada, in two weeks-time - where I really want to go for it.”

A strong run last weekend saw Greig crack the top-10 in the second 1000m race in Berlin.

He also placed 19th in the A-Division final of the men’s 500m event, 0.93 of a second behind the winner from the host nation.

He since has been forced to take time off the ice due to the injury that flared up after his three races in Germany.
This slight setback has not, however, altered his overall season goals.

“My aim for this season is to keep the results moving forward in the right direction, building all the way to the Olympics, rather than peak at one of these earlier events.

“So far I have hit all my goals for this season.”

With PyeongChang now on the horizon, the South Australian is expecting large crowds at Gangneung Oval and is keen to seeing how his competitors handle the important competition.

“The pressure everyone puts on themselves is a lot higher at this event. It’s interesting to see how my competitors react under increased pressure.

“It’s important you know how to expect them to perform so there are no surprises in the race.”
What is happening off the ice is just as important to Greig as the racing itself.

In a sport where the difference between a gold and silver medal is literally a thousandth of a second, Grieg said he needs to be able to “control all external factors.”

“It will be good to see how the Korean Organising Committee react to different situations and how they run the event.”
“Short track speed skating is won in the preparations.”

The ISU World Single Distances Championships will be held from 9-12 February in Gangneung, South Korea. Greig competes in the 500m event at 8pm AEDT Friday, and the 1000m event at 8.40pm AEDT Saturday.

Long track speed skater Daniel Greig has improved on his Day one performance at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Berlin, placing 18th in the 1000m A Division event.
 
This was the Sochi 2014 Olympian’s first appearance in the top division after strong performances at the end of last year saw him advance from the B Division.
 
Greig placed 11th in the 1000m event at the Astana World Cup in early December, before improving his standing to seventh at the last World Cup in Heerenveen.
 
The move to the A-Division top tier is a significant stepping stone for Greig, looking to crack the top 10 in both the 500m and 1000m event.
 
The South Australian’s 1000m time of 1 minute, 10.92 seconds was 2.67 seconds behind The Netherlands’ winner Kjeld Nuis. Silver went to Kai Verbij also from the Netherlands, and bronze was won by Norway’s Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen.
 
There were less than two seconds separating third and 18th place.
 
After placing 19th in the 500m A Division event on Friday, Greig was concerned about a niggling injury prior to last night’s race.
 
“The minor back injury I sustained a couple of weeks ago is still affecting me,” said the 25-year-old before the 1000m event.
 
“Unfortunately, the rules state that I have to race here in order to qualify for the World Championship Sprint in Canada later on this season.
 
“I will just be doing my best with what my body is ready for. My sight is set to be 100% fit again by World Champs in Korea.”
 
Greig will now turn his attention to the World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships kicking off on the February 9. This event doubles as the Test Event for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, to be held at the Gangneung Oval.

Podium one day and back in 20th the next certainly focuses the minds of Long Track Speed Skating athletes and coaches as they search for the minuscule improvements necessary to succeed.

For Australia’s best long track speed skater Daniel Greig, the search for more is on in earnest now, having recovered from the surgery on both knees which kept him from achieving the results he believes are possible.

“I’m coming back,” he says. “I feel fantastic – really fantastic.”

Greig’s desire to succeed is fired by a furnace of self-belief and unrelenting attention to detail, having been told many times that he would not recover sufficiently enough from his surgery and subsequent nerve damage to continue his sport.

Recover he has, making it back into the coveted A Division, which only allows for the top 19 speed skaters from one race to the next, in a sport where less than two tenths of a second (.200) separates 15th place from the podium and four tenths of a second (.400) to 20th place.

“It was a long way back. My sport is extremely competitive at the top and this is the first season (since Sochi) that I’ve been fit again.”

Greig’s season began slowly in B Division at the first World Cup last November in China, placing 22nd then 14th in his favoured 500m, then an improved 7th in Japan before landing second on the podium in Kazakhstan in the third World Cup, which qualified him into the A Division.

By the fourth World Cup in Holland in mid-December, the Dutch-based Aussie had improved 1.26 seconds since his first World Cup (36.34 down to 35.08) and made it into the A Division, placing 15th.  

“I still haven’t quite met my season goal yet,” he said. “I want to get into the top 10 (in A Division).”

In a sport where two, three and four tenths mean a podium or relegation to B Division, attention to detail is paramount.  

“This is how I describe the sport,” Greig said. “If you take any coin and drop it from waist height, the entire A Division has crossed the finish line by the time it takes the coin to hit the ground.”

Greig, a mechanical engineering student, is a very interesting fellow who has a mind for numbers and the spread sheets at hand to back up his research. He and coach Desly Hill apply that research to his training and the highly-sophisticated equipment, race suit engineering and preparation necessary for the fastest men on ice.  (“Do you know the average speed skater in a 500-metre race skates the first 100 metres in the same time as Usain Bolt’s world record 9.6seconds,” Greig says)

The quest to shave off any of the four one-thousandths of second required from his 500m time before the next World Cup in Berlin is largely down to a hard three-week training block, of which he is part-way through.

“After Kazakhstan, I needed a to get in a hard training block for three weeks. I needed more anaerobics to improve the last 100 metres of the 500.”

“The three weeks’ work should hopefully result in point two of a second, but the probability is point one of a second – and that is providing I trained harder than my opponents.”

A couple of recent unofficial test races over 100metres currently ranks Daniel Greig with the fastest time in the world.

“I do feel good,” he admitted. “I feel more at home close to the podium. Being fastest just feels like home and I’m itching to get back racing.”

The disappointment of his Sochi result no longer weighs heavily on a more mature Greig who is entering his physical prime.

I’ve already hit a major goal simply knowing my body is capable. Last time [Sochi] I was racing great but mentally not ready.”

“This is all for another shot at Olympics. If I know there’s a ten percent chance of me winning a medal then I’m going for it.”

Time will tell.  Literally.  

Daniel will compete in the next ISU Speed Skating in Berlin, Germany this weekend. You can watch the races live on the ISU Youtube channel http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/isu/Speed%20Skating/ (emargoes in some territories)

By Belinda Noonan
 
 
 

Having made it into A Division off the back of a silver medal in Kazakhstan last weekend, Long Track speed skater Daniel Greig took advantage of his position in the fourth World Cup in The Netherlands early this morning.

In a time of 35.08, Greig raced to 15th in the Heerenveen World Cup collecting 14 ranking points in the 500m A Division, which was won by Russian Ruslan  Murashov in 34.50.

Greig welcomed his return to form after recovering from bi-lateral knee injuries last season. Now ranked 26th in the world for the 500m after this morning’s race, he said that his race execution could have been better.

“In terms of execution, it was actually, not a great race,” Greig said this morning. “I made some mistakes that cost me time.”

“The silver lining is that it seems my world top level has returned. I’ve put down two competitive 500m races in a row now.”

“What I feel like I need now is for my muscle memory to get used to the speed so I can take another step up the ranking.”

In his 1000m B Divsion race on Monday morning AEDT, Greig completed his weekend campaign with a "solid run" according to the Aussie, placing 7th with a time of 1:10:31 and collecting 4 points in the world rankings, placing him 38th overall.

Off the back of a podium finish in Kazakhstan last week, Australian speed skater Daniel Greig will be aiming to go one better this weekend in the fourth of six ISU Speed Skating World Cups in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

Greig claimed Silver in the 500m B Division event in Kazakhstan, gaining him qualification into the A Division this weekend’s World Cup and the World Championships in Gangneung, Korea, the venue for the 2018 Olympic Games.

The Australian will start his competition early Saturday morning (AEDT) in the A Division in front of the fanatical Dutch speed skating fans as he continues his climb up the world rankings.

Based in the Netherlands and part of Team Victorie – A Dutch pro team coached by fellow Australian Desly Hill, Greig is ranked 31st in the world for the 500m and 44th in the 1000m event, which he will also be competing in this weekend.

Jumping up to the A Division will no doubt be a tough test for Greig, however the reward will be worth it if he can find success, with more points up for grabs than in the B Division and a further boost up the World Cup Rankings.

The methodical, switched-on Aussie is enjoying better form since recovering from knee injuries last season.

His 500m race kicks off at 3:15am AEDT on Saturday and his 1000m event starts at 1:12am AEDT on Monday.
​
For more information and live scores as they come in, you can visit http://www.isu.org/en/speed-skating/calendar-of-events/2016/12/isu-world-cup-ss-heerenveen

Daniel Greig has continued his impressive rise back up the World Cup speed skating standings, with a second place performance in the 500m B Division event in Astana, Kazakhstan.
 
On the back of the podium performance, Greig will now move up to the World Cup A Division at the next event, tobe held in the Netherlands, known as one of the biggest events of the season Greig will race in front of large crowds from the fanatical Dutch speed skating fans.
 
The result also sees Greig qualify for the World Championships in Gangneung, Korea, the Speed Skating venue for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The World Championships are scheduled for February 9-12 2017.
 
Greig also competed in the 1000m B Division event, finishing in 11th place.
 
Joshua Capponi was also in action for Australia competing in the distance events, placing 12th in the Mass Start distance semi-final and finishing 29th in the 5000m B Division event.

The next event in Heerenveen, Netherlands, will take place from December 9-11.

PHOTO: Daniel Greig (right) on the B Division Podium in Astana

OWIA Long Track Speed Skater Daniel Greig has posted a much improved seventh place performance in the 500m B Division World Cup event in Nagano, Japan, site of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.
 
The encouraging result marks Greig’s highest place finish since the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This comes off the back of an uninterrupted preseason, with the last two seasons impacted by injury.
 
Unfortunately in the 1000m, Greig finished in 32nd place after getting caught up with his opponent while passing, which slowed him down, and then also stumbled later in the race.
 
Joshua Capponi also competed for Australia, finishing in 23rd place in the B Division 5000m event and 13th in his mass start semi-final.

After the race OWIA Long Track Speed Skating Head Coach Desly Hill commented.

"Both boys had lowland season best times in Nagano, it was a better weekend for them than China."

"Daniel's 500m performance went much better than last week, and he is much closer to the fastest guys, so we are happy with that."

"Joshua did his second fastest time ever in the 5000m and raced a very high level mass start heat with most of the worlds best. Joshua is able to stay in the group but was unable to get through to the final."

The Australian athletes will now have a weekend off competing before the next stop on the World Cup circuit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on December 2-4.

IMAGE: The venue for the Nagano World Cup © Joshua Capponi Instagram

The opening World Cup event of the 2016/2017 season for Long Track Speed Skating has taken place in Harbin, China.
 
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia athlete Daniel Greig competed in both the 500m and 1000m events in the B Division.
 
Greig’s first event came on day two of the World Cup, where he finished in 22nd place in the first 500m and 23rd in the 1000m.  
 
On day three, the final day of competition, the second 500m event was held, which saw Greig move up several positions to finish in 14th place, .36 of a second behind the event winner.
 
Also in action for Australia was Joshua Capponi, who also competed in the B Division. Capponi finished in tenth place in the Mass Start and 27th in the 5000m.
 
The next stop on the Speed Skating World Cup tour is in Nagano, Japan, site of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. The first day of competition is scheduled for November 18.

OWIA/Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) athlete Daniel Greig had his fastest opening start of the season in his 500m race at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, Korea, on the weekend.
 
On a slow ice track, Greig was able to make a powerful start and reach the crossover in a season best time, in positive signs for the 24-year-old.
 
Greig also had a faster time than a number of competitors who he had not beaten all season, which was particularly pleasing to coach, Desly Hill.
 
“Dan skated two season best races on the opening day, and even though the (overall) times don’t show that, as the ice is slow here, we are pretty pleased with how he is improving,” Hill said.
 
“We are sure he is fit and fast, although we have to give him more time in that low position to get all his power into the ice.”
 
The Championships consisted of two 500m and 1,000m races over the two days, with Russia’s Pavel Kulizhnikov winning both of the 500m’s and Dutchman Kjeld Nuis victorious in both the 1,000m events.

Greig finished in 21st place in the overall classification, with performances of 22nd and 25th in the 500m races and 17th and 19th in the 1000m races.

IMAGE: Daniel Greig in action earlier in the season © Martin de Jong

OWIA/VIS Speed Skater Daniel Greig has qualified for the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, which will be held in late February.

Competing at the World Cup event in Stavanger, Norway, Greig competed in the Men’s 500m and 1,000m Division B events.

On the opening day of the three day event, Greig finished the first of the 500m events in a time of 35.54 seconds in equal tenth place.

In the 1,000m on day two, his time was one minute 10.82 seconds, finishing in 18th place.

The final day saw the second of the 500m and 1,000m races held.

Greig completing his 500m race in a time of 35.78 seconds in 20th place.

He improved on his opening run in the 1,000m on Friday, by completing the race in a time of one minute 10.70 seconds in 14th place.
​
“Dan qualified for the worlds sprint, but he still has a lot to improve, so looking forward to getting those things checked off before Korea,” coach Desly Hill said.

IMAGE: Daniel Greig preparing for the race in Stavanger, Norway © Daniel Greig Instagram

Long Track speed skater, Daniel Greig, has continued his steady return from injury with an improved time in the second 500 metre World Cup event held in Heerenveen in The Netherlands.

The focus across the weekend, which saw the OWIA/VIS athlete compete in two 500 metre events plus a 1000 metre race, was not about placing’s but improvements in aspects of his racing.

Australian coach, Desly Hill, was happy with the progress.

“In the opening 500 metre event on Friday, Dan had his fastest opening in 20 months at 9.76 seconds.

In Sunday’s 500 metres, he had a really good race, with another 9.7 opening – actually .03 faster than Friday – and he raced a 35.50. This was with an error on the last corner which cost him 0.2 or 0.3 seconds.

“So I'm really happy with his progress. The overall result in Sunday’s 500 meters was 12th (in the B Final) but only 0.2 off 2nd.

“So if he continues to make improvements on this long come back, we are hopeful of good result next time we race.”

IMAGE: Daniel Greig in Heerenveen © Daniel Greig Instagram

Daniel Greig heads back to familiar territory this weekend, for the final Long Track World Cup event before the Christmas break.

Heerenveen in The Netherlands will be the venue, and with the first three World Cup events of the season behind him, Greig feels he is heading in the right direction, after two years out of competitive racing due to injury.

“My body is starting to do what I want it to do,” Greig said.

After an 11th placing in the 500 metre Division B event on Sunday, in Inzell, Germany, his highest placing of the season, Greig will be looking forward to racing on a very familiar track.

Greig’s recent training has been focused on regaining more power and following last weekend’s performance in Germany, particularly after suffering a groin strain during warm-up, he is looking forward to testing his progress on the ice in Heerenveen.

The three day event begins on Thursday, Dutch time. 

A groin strain suffered during the warm up to the first of the 500 metre events on the opening day of competition, did not stop Daniel Greig from taking to the track on Day 2 of the World Cup event in Inzell, Germany.

After sitting out the competition on Friday as a precaution, Greig was in action in the 1000 metres on Saturday, finishing in a time of one minute 11.22 seconds.

It was a difficult race, with Greig’s opponent crashing and still lying in his lane when Greig was coming around.

Coach Desly Hill was full of praise for Greig.

“He went pretty well considering the opening day and his opponent crashing,” Hill said. “We still have more to work on, but there were some positive things to take from it.”

The final day of competition on Sunday saw Greig compete in the second of the 500 metre Division B events, crossing the line in a time of 35.62 seconds, to finish 11th in the 24 man field.
​
The World Cup series continues for Greig next weekend, this time in familiar territory at his home away from home, Heerenveen in The Netherlands.

Olympic Winter Institute (OWIA) athlete Daniel Greig shaved an impressive 0.12 seconds off his 1000m performance from the opening round last weekend in Calgary, as his comeback continued, this time in Salt Lake City, at the second round of the ISU Speed Skating World Cup.

Greig finished the 1000m in a time of one minute 10.08 seconds.

In the two 500m Division B events on the weekend, Greig finished the opening race in a time of 35.37 seconds and this morning (Australian time) placed 17th in B Division, with a time of 35.54 seconds.

“I am still feeling like I would rather be operating at a higher level, however, there is a decent skating base there that I can build on,” Greig said this morning, at the conclusion of his final race.

There may be a two week break before the next World Cup event in Inzell, Germany, but for Greig there will be no resting. “Right now the plan is to return to training and try to regain some of my power again.”

The Inzell World Cup event runs from December 4th to 6th.

“Being back at World Cups is nice.” This was how Olympic Winter Institute (OWIA) athlete Daniel Greig summed up his return to competitive racing on the weekend, at the opening round of the 2015/16 ISU World Cup Speed Skating season in Calgary.

After spending close to two years on the sidelines with an enforced injury layoff,  the 24-year-old Olympian showed positive signs in the 500m and 1,000m events.

On the opening day, Greig competed in the 500m Division B, and finished in 19th place overall, in a time of 35.56 seconds.

Day 2 saw Greig in action once again, this time in the 1,000m, where he placed 27th in a time of one minute 10.20 seconds.

This morning (Australian time) Greig put in a superb performance in the second of the 500m, finishing 19th in a time of 35.24 seconds; 0.32 seconds faster than in his opening event.

“There is no denying that replacing two years of training with almost two years of surgery and rehab is going to make performing hard,” Greig said.

“I will basically be racing myself back into shape over the coming World Cups.”

“Any step towards where I want to be is a good one, that’s how we’re taking it, one step at a time,” Greig reflected.

Coach, Desly Hill, was full of praise for the Australian’s work ethic. “He is working on it. We are not there yet, but every day it’s getting better.”
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The OWIA athlete will now head to Salt Lake City for the second round of the season, which commences on November 20. Salt Lake will bring back fond memories for Greig. It was the venue for his personal best time in 500m, 34.64 seconds back in 2013.

OWIA Long Track Speed Skating athlete has competed in his first international race of the 2015-2016 season, taking part in a 500 metres event in Inzell, Germany.

Greig placed fifth in a time of 36 seconds, .49 seconds off the podium.

The top three skaters all came from the Netherlands, with Hein Otterspeer in first, Gerben Jorritsma second and Marten Liiv third.

Coach Desly Hill said "Daniel has started the season in better shape than he did for the Olympic season and he is steadily improving every week, so we are happy."


The first Long Track ISU World Cup event of the season begins in Calgary on November 13th.