Ex-St. Petersburg Skater Torup Details Cold Welcome in Danish Team

Former St. Petersburg short track skater Sofia Torup, who has represented Denmark since 2023, won a gold medal in the mass start at the European Speed Skating Championships. However, the last two years have been the most difficult in her life due to the cold reception from the Danish federation.

After moving to Denmark, Torup decided to return to short track, to which she had dedicated most of her career. She dreamed of competing for the new country and in the future helping to develop the sport, possibly as a coach. But the federation immediately rejected this idea.

«But when I announced this to the federation, they said that I would not be allowed to represent Denmark in short track. They explained that they wanted to develop the sport from scratch, with Danish skaters on Danish soil, and that I would not be considered a good role model for young people...» Torup noted.

For more than a year and a half, the athlete tried to change the leadership«s position, but to no avail. During this time, she received neither financial support nor a clear explanation of the criteria for assistance. According to her, the federation never clarified the future prospects.

Amid constant stress and the realization that the path to the Olympic Games was closed for her, Torup continued daily training. She switched to speed skating, and the hard work led to a victory at the European Championships. However, even the gold medal did not bring joy: after the finish, she was asked about the meaning of the victory for Denmark, and she could not answer due to conflicting feelings.

Sofia Torup is a five-time European champion in short track as part of the Russian team and a participant in three Olympics. The victory in the mass start became her first gold for Denmark in the new sport.