The Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina begin tomorrow, Friday, with the first big highlight – the opening ceremony in the legendary San Siro Stadium in front of almost 80,000 fans. One of the greatest honors in sports is leading your country as a flag bearer.
Jesper Jensen Aabo will receive exactly this honor: the EC-KAC defender will lead Denmark at the opening ceremony. In the interview, the 34-year-old talks about this special award. With Markus Lauridsen from HC Falkensteiner Pustertal and Anders Koch from the Moser Medical Graz99ers, two other Danish defenders from the win2day ICE Hockey League are also in the Olympic squad. They also describe their impressions shortly before the start of the tournament.
“I was informed by the association and it was an incredibly proud moment. To be honest, it’s something you dream of as an athlete. Leading your country is one of the greatest honors you can receive,” says Jesper Jensen Aabo, touched by his role as flag bearer.
Around 80,000 fans will be there live at the San Siro, plus millions of television viewers worldwide, when the KAC defender marches into the stadium with the Danish flag as the first of his country. For Aabo, it’s a moment he can hardly put into words: “It’s hard to describe. Walking in front of so many fans and knowing that millions are watching will be very special. It’s not just about me, it’s about representing our country and all those who support us.”
For Jensen Aabo it is already the second Olympic Winter Games. In Beijing in 2022, he was part of the Danish team that made it to the quarter-finals. At that time, however, the NHL stars were missing and no fans were allowed. This tournament feels all the more special for him: “The Olympic Games are always unique, but these feel special. The fans are back and the best players in the world are there – that creates an incredible atmosphere that I’m really looking forward to.”
Immediately after the 2022 Winter Games, the 34-year-old moved to EC-KAC. The defender has scored 95 points in 183 league games so far and has developed into an important component in the Red Jackets’ game. Nevertheless, the Olympic nomination came as a surprise to him: “I didn’t expect it. You don’t just expect such awards. The KAC was very important for me. Playing in a demanding environment and competing every day helped me a lot.”
Two more ICEHL cracks in the Danish team
In addition to Jensen Aabo, Markus Lauridsen and Anders Koch, two other players from the win2day ICE Hockey League are in the Danish squad. Three players from the same league in the national team underline their quality, as Lauridsen emphasizes: “Yes, that definitely shows that the league has a high level and that players from there are internationally competitive.”
Koch also highlights the league’s positive development: “In Denmark we often compare ourselves with Austria because the national teams are at a similar level. If you compare the Danish league with the Austrian league, the Austrian league is one step further and is definitely developing in the right direction.”
An extremely demanding group awaits Denmark at the Winter Olympics: the USA, Germany and Latvia. But the form is right: at the World Cup in May, where Denmark was co-host, the team sensationally took fourth place. Markus Lauridsen was part of this team and believes in another surprise: “We know that it will be a big challenge with these opponents. But we showed at the World Cup what our team is capable of and we want to build on that at the Olympic Games.”
For Anders Koch it will be the first Olympic Games of his career. The 28-year-old’s anticipation is correspondingly great: “At the moment we’re counting down the days. It’s incredibly exciting. Whatever ice time the coaches give me, I’ll gratefully accept – and then we’ll see how it goes.”
ice.hockey , Image: Rothmund_Pioneers.hockey
