2023-08-17 15:04:00
Germany’s captain Nike Lorenz is very relaxed about the European Hockey Championships in her home country.
Photo: imago/Pressinphoto
Nike Lorenz has taken part in the Olympic Games twice so far – with very different success: In 2016 in Rio she won bronze with the German women’s hockey team. At the Tokyo Games two years ago, the selection ran aground of the German Hockey Association (DHB) against it already in the quarterfinals. At the home European Championships in Mönchengladbach, there is now the chance to at least get hold of a ticket for the five-ring edition next summer in Paris. A scenario that Lorenz says casually in an interview with “nd”: “The possible Olympic qualification is nice to have.”
The charming restraint of the native Berliner is understandable: On the one hand, there is Direct ticket to the French metropolis only for first place – and for Germany’s captain, too, the Netherlands are the top favorite as “the best team in the world”. In addition, the attractive passage ticket to the Seine is simply not a goal that the team has set itself.
Finally, the EM takes place, in which the DHB team against Scotland on Friday night starts, takes place in your own country. “The focus,” explains Lorenz, “is clearly on the tournament itself.” Spreading some hockey fascination and above all inspiring the younger generation is what she and the team are very concerned about. “And on the pitch,” adds Lorenz, “we just want to chase the ball in every game, chase the opponent. And then we’ll see where we end up.”
This relaxed attitude goes well with the basic feeling that the DHB women have developed under national coach Valentin Altenburg. Born in Hamburg, in office since January 2022, he propagates a »humane competitive sport«, promotes a strong culture of debate within the team and avoids making decisions on the basis of given hierarchies. That goes down well with the team. »Previously, the collective was emphasized very strongly – and little consideration was given to individuals. It’s different now, there’s more focus on individuality,” says 26-year-old Lorenz.
For example, one national player does strength training three times a week, the other once strength training and twice yoga. And on courses, private worries and needs are now discussed more often. “Before there wasn’t much room for it. Perhaps our own aspiration was always to concentrate very much on the sport. We tended to push the other things aside. But being able to let things like that out – that’s exactly what we want to create a very open space for. Because we firmly believe that this is how we can be the best hockey player on the field,” emphasizes Lorenz.
The player from Rot-Weiss Köln, who works freelance for a management consultancy with a focus on sustainability, was far from this “very big goal” with her teammates at the Olympics in Tokyo. In Japan she had prevailed to be allowed to appear with a rainbow armband. In terms of sport, the clear quarter-final defeat against Argentina (0:3) and the little appreciation she felt when she returned to Germany gave her a lot of trouble.
“You just spent your whole life trying to be successful at the Olympics,” recapitulates Lorenz. “And then it was a bit like coming home from a hobby sports trip and the boss says, ‘It would be cool if you could go back to work tomorrow.'” With her one-year master’s degree in business administration in Nottingham, she found that then a personal shelter – and the joy of hockey again.
Fourth place and the narrowly missed first World Cup medal in 24 years meant for the German hockey women for Altenburgs Individualists then returned to the top of the world at the global tournament last summer. “They were pretty empty hands back then. But compared to the Olympics, the feeling was definitely different. Also because expectations were better managed,” recalls Nike Lorenz. And the consistent internal specification for the upcoming European Championships at home is now: “We don’t have a real target result.”
The basic attitude of their male colleagues, who returned from India at the end of January as world champions, is a little more aggressive. 15 of them are now also in the 18-strong EM squad of the DHB selection, so there National coach André Henning also to consider in an interview with »nd«: »I find it an incredibly big challenge to play a European championship seven months after a World Cup. And with this world championship title, it has become even bigger mentally.«
Before the World Cup, the 39-year-old reflects, the inside view of his team was certainly a little more self-confident than the outside perception. And now it might be the other way around. In any case, one thing is certain for Henning ahead of the first game on Saturday against Wales: »We will encounter strong resistance from the start, there are a lot of 50:50 games. Of course, winning a title is absolutely possible. But with Belgium, the Netherlands, England and us there are four absolutely realistic European champions. Nobody falls off their chairs when that happens.«
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