Print the Biography/Short

Marten Liiv

Estonia

SportSpeed Skating
FederationIDSSEST12312199601
NOCEstonia
Born23 Dec 1996 in  Jogeva
GenderMen
ResidenceHeerenveen, NED
OccupationAthlete
LanguagesEnglish, Estonian
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 39.57 28 Jan 2012 Collalbo  
    500m 34.39 27 Jan 2024 Salt Lake City, UT  
    1000m 1:19.15 28 Jan 2012 Collalbo  
    1000m 1:07.10 05 Dec 2021 Salt Lake City, UT  
    1500m 2:05.27 13 Nov 2011 Erfurt  
    1500m 1:46.11 11 Dec 2021 Calgary  
    5000m 6:55.21 12 Mar 2016 Changchun  
    10000m 15:18.26 23 Nov 2014 Minsk  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
World Junior Championships
Event  
World Junior Championships
    1000m     1  
European Single Distances Championships
Event  
European Single Distances Championships
    500m   1    
European Sprint Championships
Event  
European Sprint Championships
    Overall     1  
General Interest
General Interest
Other sportsIn 2016 and 2018 he won the Tartu Inline Skating Marathon in Estonia. (sport.err.ee, 26 Aug 2018; sport.delfi.ee, 22 Aug 2016)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sport"My brother started speed skating before me. He is older than me and I was just following him. I also started this sport because I came from Jogeva County, more precisely four kilometres from Adavere, Estonia, where there was a skating rink. Another important reason is definitely [Estonian speed skating coach] Vaino Treiman, who revived speed skating in Adavere."  
When and where did you begin this sport?He began speed skating at age 10 in Adavere, Estonia. "During high school, I played football in the Estonian tier three league. It was more for fun, not a serious sport. I quit in 2015 after accepting an invitation to attend a speed skating academy in Germany."  
General Interest
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto"You can't win unless you learn how to lose." (martenliiv.ee, 17 May 2021)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Club / TeamTeam IKO: Heerenveen, NED  
General Interest
General Interest
InjuriesIn January 2022 he fell while he was cycling and injured his ankle. He then had to withdraw from the 2022 European Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (martenliiv.ee, 21 Mar 2022; Facebook page, 07 Jan 2022)

In 2019 he sustained a concussion. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022)

He began experiencing knee problems in 2015. The issue continued to affect him into 2017. (Athlete, 26 Nov 2018)
 
Most influential person in careerHis first coach Vaino Treiman. (elmar.elu24.ee, 20 Jan 2020; Athlete, 15 Nov 2019)  
Hero / IdolUS basketball player Kevin Durant, Dutch speed skater Kjeld Nuis. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/liiv.marten  
twitter.com/liiv_marten  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Name of coachMartin ten Hove [club], NED; Erwin ten Hove [club], NED  
General Interest
General Interest
AmbitionsTo win a medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022)  
Other informationMOVE TO THE NETHERLANDS
In May 2020 he relocated to Heerenveen, Netherlands, to train with Team IKO. "Speed skating is very popular in the Netherlands. As the ice forms, thousands of people go skating. I had never seen anything like this before. Football is, of course, number one, but speed skating competitions are also visited by thousands of people. I was received very warmly, which helped a lot. I live in the small town of Heerenveen, which has about 50-60,000 inhabitants. The Dutch language is really difficult. Fortunately, people of all ages speak English here. But the exercises are written in Dutch, so I can understand the basics." (ee.sportlandmagazine.com, 21 Apr 2022; sport.err.ee, 07 Mar 2021; Athlete, 15 Nov 2019; sport.postimees.ee, 09 May 2019)
 
Social Media
Social Media
martenliiv.ee/  
General Interest
General Interest
Awards and honoursHe was named the 2021/22 Best Male Speed Skater by the Estonian Skating Union. (vooremaa.ee, 13 May 2022; Instagram profile, 12 May 2022)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2023/2024 European Single Distances Championships 500m2  
    2022/2023 European Sprint Championships Overall3  
    2023/2024 European Single Distances Championships 1000m4  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships 1000m5  
    2022 Olympic Games 1000m7  
    2023/2024 World Sprint Championships Overall8  
    2020/2021 European Sprint Championships Overall9  
    2022/2023 World Single Distances Championships 1000m9  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships 1000m9  
    2018/2019 European Sprint Championships Overall14  
    2019/2020 European Single Distances Championships 1000m14  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships 500m14  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships 500m15  
    2016/2017 European Sprint Championships Overall16  
    2017/2018 European Single Distances Championships 1000m16  
    2022/2023 World Single Distances Championships 500m17  
    2017/2018 European Single Distances Championships 500m18  
    2018 Olympic Games 1000m18  
    2018/2019 World Sprint Championships Overall20  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships 1000m24  
    2022 Olympic Games 500m24  
    2018 Olympic Games 1500m33  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2022/2023 Heerenveen 1000m3  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1000m6  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification 1000m10  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1000m10  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1000m11  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification 500m15  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 500m21  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 500m23  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 1000m30  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 500m31  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1000m40  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 500m43  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1000m52  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 500m60  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1500m59