With outdoor temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius, ice skating is not top of mind for most people during the European summer. Inzell is different, however. From 4 to 26 July, the famous Max Aicher Arena opens its doors for summer ice training, attracting international Speed Skaters to the picturesque Bavarian mountain town to prepare for the new season.

World record ice

Among those training at the Max Aicher Arena is the Norwegian team, including Sander Eitrem (NOR), who made history there in January.

Before claiming the Olympic 5000m title in Milano in February and the World Allround crown in Heerenveen in March, the Norwegian endurance specialist became the first man in Speed Skating history to complete the 5000m in under six minutes. He clocked 5:58.52 at the final World Cup event of last season.

The Norwegian team travelled to Inzell not only to skate, but also to combine its on-ice sessions with strength training and cycling in the surrounding mountains.

Speed Skating legends reunite

While preparing for next season’s biggest races, Norway’s Ragne Wiklund (NOR) caught up with two Speed Skating legends.

Retired three-time Olympic champion Irene Schouten (NED) and multiple World and Olympic champion Martina Sáblíková (CZE) joined the 2026 World Allround champion on the summer ice in Inzell.

A new team for Magnussen

Bjørn Magnussen (NOR) is also training on the summer ice in Inzell, but no longer with the Norwegian national team. The sprinter, who won 500m bronze at the 2026 European Championships in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, has changed his routine and now trains under coach Jac Orie with Team Essent.

Kings of the mountain

Away from the ice, the Team Reggeborgh men, including Olympic medallists Kjeld Nuis (NED) and Jenning de Boo (NED), have been competing with their Team Essent rivals for the King of the Mountain classifications on the cycling app Strava.

The friendly competition is another example of how Speed Skaters use cycling and the Bavarian mountains to complement their summer ice training in Inzell.

Summer Olympic ambitions

Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED) is also enjoying the combination of summer ice and cycling in Inzell. While still fully committed to Speed Skating, the Olympic 1500m champion also has ambitions on the bike.

This spring, Rijpma-de Jong revealed that she dreams of competing in track cycling at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Still in love with Speed Skating

Returning to the summer ice in Inzell reminded Damian Żurek (POL) how much he still loves the sport.

Last season, he won the European 500m and 1000m titles before narrowly missing the podium with fourth-place finishes in both distances at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

“I thought after all these years, it would be just another training session,” Żurek wrote on Instagram. “But it turned out that speed skating can still bring a smile to my face as it used to do before. It was great to feel that joy again.”

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