Women
GER
Leia Marie Behlau
GER- Date of birth12 Apr 1996
- HeightN/A
- ProfessionPolice Athlete
- HometownInzell
- Place of birthUnna
- Start skating Club She began speed skating in 2003 at age seven at the Mohnesee Ice Skating Club [SCM] in Echtrop, Germany. DEC Inzell: Germany
- HobbiesCross-country skiing, ski mountaineering, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, running, fashion, photography, animals. (Athlete, 07 Feb 2021)
- LanguagesEnglish, German
- CoachMichael Restner [personal], GER
- ChoreographerN/A
- Former CoachN/A
- Practice low seasonN/A
- Practice high seasonN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
"It never gets easier, you just get stronger." (Athlete, 07 Feb 2021)
Her grandparents. (Athlete, 07 Feb 2021)
Her father. (Athlete, 07 Feb 2021)
To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (sueddeutsche.de, 04 Mar 2022)
Skating under two minutes in the 1500m at the 2015 World Allround Championships in Calgary, AB, Canada. (Athlete, 07 Feb 2021)
BREAK AND RETURN
In early 2020 she returned to speed skating after a 20-month break from competition. "I was in contact with [coach] Michi Restner and a conversation emerged from it, and in the end we decided that I would put my skates on again. After a 20-month break from competitions and no ice training in the 2019/20 season, I started again. The 'ice feeling' that I lost before my break is slowly coming back [speaking in 2020] and motivates me to keep working on it." (sueddeutsche.de, 04 Mar 2022; Facebook page, 17 Jan 2021, 11 Jan 2021; traunsteiner-tagblatt.de, 13 Jan 2021; Instagram profile, 25 Oct 2020)
POLICE ATHLETE
In 2021 she joined the elite sports programme of the Bavarian Police in Germany. She was previously part of the sports group at the Bundeswehr [the German armed forces] between 2015 and 2018. (sueddeutsche.de, 04 Mar 2022)
In early 2020 she returned to speed skating after a 20-month break from competition. "I was in contact with [coach] Michi Restner and a conversation emerged from it, and in the end we decided that I would put my skates on again. After a 20-month break from competitions and no ice training in the 2019/20 season, I started again. The 'ice feeling' that I lost before my break is slowly coming back [speaking in 2020] and motivates me to keep working on it." (sueddeutsche.de, 04 Mar 2022; Facebook page, 17 Jan 2021, 11 Jan 2021; traunsteiner-tagblatt.de, 13 Jan 2021; Instagram profile, 25 Oct 2020)
POLICE ATHLETE
In 2021 she joined the elite sports programme of the Bavarian Police in Germany. She was previously part of the sports group at the Bundeswehr [the German armed forces] between 2015 and 2018. (sueddeutsche.de, 04 Mar 2022)
She has competed in roller speed skating at national level and finished fourth at the 2014 German Championships in Bielefeld. (sportgymnasium-erfurt.de, 15 Sep 2014)
She trains at the Max Aicher Arena in Inzell, Germany.
"I saw some speed skaters skating in circles around me while I was attending a beginners' lesson for ice skating, and wanted to try speed skating because it looked very impressive to me."
Michael Restner [personal], GER
