Mihaela Hogas

Memorable sporting achievement	Winning bronze in the mixed team sprint at the 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. (Athlete, 25 Nov 2021)
Hobbies	Watching films, psychology, spending time with friends and family. (Athlete, 25 Nov 2021)
Hero / Idol	Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, Romanian handball player Cristina Neagu, Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. (Athlete, 25 Nov 2021)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (redbull.com, 24 Feb 2020)

www.facebook.com/Mihaela-Hoga%C5%9F-215651746027389

Name of coach	Bogdan Stanescu [club], ROU
When and where did you begin this sport?	She first tried speed skating at age nine in Brasov, Romania.
Club / Team	CSM Corona Brasov: Romania
Training Regime	"Training in Inzell, Germany, starts at 09:00. It starts with an hour-long warm up at the rink, which involves running, exercises to warm up muscle groups and skating exercises to improve technique. After warming up, there are two series of 45 minutes on ice, and then continue after returning to training with about 30 minutes of mobility and running. The meals are always fixed, so every day at 13:00 we have lunch. Between the two workouts I try to relax, walk or sleep. The second training is quite diversified, we do physical training, running, strength, technique exercises specific to skating, jumping, cycling."
Reason for choosing this sport	"I didn't know what the sport was about, but I liked it so much that I couldn't stop. I was very attracted to the idea of individual sports, the fact that I can compete with other athletes in a timed competition. I realised that it is a complex and difficult sport because it is about technique, strength, ambition, emotional and mental strength and physical endurance. It is a special sport that combines adrenaline, speed, the desire to win, the pleasure of skating and the suspense given by winning competitions within thousands of a second."

Most influential person in career	Her family, and coach Bogdan Stanescu. (Athlete, 25 Nov 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"I have learned to be patient. I am a perfectionist and I always want more from myself. In performance sports, everything must be built step by step. I learned that work surpasses them all. Talent, conditions, staff, a strong body, all can be in vain if there is no work. I learned to control my emotions and energy and put them on the ice." (redbull.com, 24 Feb 2020)
Other information	TRAINING IN GERMANY She trains in Inzell, Germany, for six months of the year due to a lack of training facilities in Romania. "The fact that we do not have an ice rink in Romania where we can train and we have to stay at a camp in Inzell, Germany, for a long time is the biggest challenge. We spend a lot of time in the camp, we go from September to March, and we come home once a month. It is very difficult to train in another country. German coaches always say that we are an example for them because we don't have an ice rink and staff, but we still manage to beat them. If other athletes have a whole team behind them, I only have my coach Bogdan [Stanescu]. This sport could develop a lot if a speed skating rink were built in Romania. Also, promoting it in schools or by broadcasting it on television would have a positive impact back home." (redbull.com, 24 Feb 2020) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied for master's degrees in marketing policies and strategies and in sports performance and management at the Transilvania University of Brasov in Romania. (Athlete, 25 Nov 2021; Facebook profile, 18 Jan 2021; redbull.com, 24 Feb 2020)