Joel DUFTER

DEPARTURE OF DANNY LEGER
Along with other German sprinters, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the German Speed Skating Association (DESG) after the termination of his coach of 10 years, Danny Leger (GER), one year before the start of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Despite this, he still managed to win a bronze medal (500m) at the 2021 European Sprint Championships in Heerenveen, his first major international medal. Announced in May 2021, he would join the Norwegian training group after fielding offers from the Netherlands and Canada, as he wants to train with Olympic champion Havard Lorentzen. (rheinpfalz.de, 18 May 2021)

SPORTING FAMILY
He and his sister both competed for Germany at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. “That's something special. I made it [the team] a day earlier than Roxanne and put her under a bit of pressure." Their father Pino took a vacation from his job to watch them compete, and not miss anything on television.

Pino, a former hockey player, is a stadium announcer at major speed skating competitions in the Max Aicher Arena in their hometown of Inzell. "Of course I am not allowed to cheer on them, otherwise they will be disqualified. It was hard to stay calm." The reward comes when he is allowed to interview his own children on the stadium microphone. (berchtesgadener-anzeiger.de, 27 Jan 2018)

SPEED SKATING OVER HOCKEY
Sometimes questions whether he made the right choice choosing speed skating over ice hockey. “I miss ice hockey. Not because of the toughness, but because of the team spirit. You win or lose together." (berchtesgadener-anzeiger.de, 27 Jan 2018)

DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKING
Enjoys downhill mountain biking. "It’s risky and a bit dangerous maybe, not always be the best thing to do for a speed skater, but I need time to be a speed skater and time to be a normal guy.” (isu.org, 13 Mar 2021)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

National record holder in 1000m (1:06.80), set in March 2019 at the World Cup in Salt Lake City. First German to skate the distance under 1:07:00. Also, record holder in the team sprint (1:20.59).

Two World Cup podium finishes, both in the team sprint during the 2016/17 season (Nagano - 2nd, Stavanger - 3rd). Best individual finish of fourth (1000m) at the 2021 World Cup in Heerenveen.

Third overall at the 2021 European Sprint Championships in Heerenveen, finishing second in the 500m and third in the 1000m.

Five-time National champion, in the 500m (2019, 2020) and 1000m (2017, 2018, 2019).