Karolína Erbanová

Karolína Erbanová (; born 27 October 1992) is a Czech ice hockey player and retired long-track speed skater. She won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the 500 m event in speed skating.

Erbanová was a member of the Czech national ice hockey team that won bronze at the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship. Her ice hockey club career has included seasons in the Swedish Damettan with Almtuna IS and in the Finnish Naisten Liiga (NSML) with HPK Hämeenlinna.

Speed skating career As a child, Erbanová enjoyed cross-country skiing and played ice hockey from age 10. She was very fast on skates and, at 13, she was recommended as a prospect to NOVIS Team head coach Petr Novák by her ice hockey coach. The following year, she joined the NOVIS Team. It was initially predicted that she would be a middle-distance skater but she came to specialize in sprints instead.

Despite demonstrating an aptitude for shorter distance tracks, early in her career as a member of the NOVIS team Erbanová was obligated to skate the same events as her team leader, long-track skater Martina Sáblíková. During 2008 to 2012, she competed semi-frequently in 3000 m and occasionally in 5000 m, Sáblíková's best events.

Together with teammates Martina Sáblíková and Andrea Jirků, she won the overall team pursuit of the 2008–09 ISU Speed Skating World Cup. At the 2009 tournament of the World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Zakopane, she competed in the 3000 m but was disqualified after forgetting to change lanes. In the following World Junior Championships in Moscow, she fell during the second 500 m race and lost the chance to medal.

During the 2012–13 season she won her first individual Senior World Cup in Harbin at the 1000 m.

On 27 August 2018, she announced her retirement from professional speed skating at the age of 25, citing the "manipulative, degrading and aggressive behavior" of Czech national speed-skating coach Petr Novák as the primary motivator.

Medal table Major tournaments in bold. Gold Silver Bronze Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Single Distance Championships 0 0 1 World Allround Championships 0 0 0 World Allround Championships 0 1 1 European Allround Championships 0 0 0 European Allround Championships 3 0 0 World Junior Championships 6 2 3 World Cup 1+1 1 0 World Cup Overall 0+1 0 0

Personal records

Speedskating results Olympic Games Erbanová represented the Czech Republic in speed skating at the Winter Olympics in 2010, 2014, and 2018. She competed in the 500 m and 1000 m speed skating events at all three Olympics and also in 1500 m speed skating events in 2010 and 2014. Her best finish was an Olympic bronze in the 500 m event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Year Place 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Teams Age2010 Vancouver 23 12 25 – – – 17.22014 Sochi 10 10 13 – – – 21.22018 Pyeongchang 7 – – – – 25.2

World Single Distance Championships Erbanová participated in seven World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships for Women. Her best finish was bronze in the 1000 m at the 2015 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships. Year Place 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Teams Age2009 Richmond – – 21 – – 7 16.32011 Inzell 11 17 – – – – 18.32012 Heerenveen 8 15 14 – – – 19.3 2013 Sochi 10 5 6 – – – 20.3 2015 Heerenveen 7 – – – – 22.3 2016 Kolomna 14 13 – – – – 23.3 2017 Gangneung 4 5 – – – – 24.3

World Allround Championships Erbanová participated in two World Allround Speed Skating Championships. She did not qualify for the 5000 m at either championship and was therefore unable to contest for an allround medal. Her highest finish in a single event was second in the 500 m at the 2011 World Allround Speed Skating Championships. Year Place 500 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Allround Age2010 Heerenveen 12 24 – – 17.22011 Calgary 10 24 – – 18.2

World Sprint Championships Erbanová participated in five World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Women. Her best allround finish was bronze at the 2015 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships – Women. Year Place 500 m 1000 m Allround Age2012 Calgary 15 15 22 11 17 19.22013 Salt Lake City 17 9 4 – 20.22015 Astana 3 3 7 5 22.22016 Seoul 11 6 5 6 7 23.22017 Calgary 2 2 4 4 4 24.2

European Championships The European Speed Skating Championships for Women were contested as an allround comprising 500 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m events until 2017. The 2017 European Speed Skating Championships was the first instance in which the traditional allround and sprint allround were contested at a single tournament, with medalists in both allround and sprint. The 2018 European Speed Skating Championships were the first instance in which the European Championship comprised single distances, neither sprint nor allround were contested.

Allround Erbanová's best allround finish was ninth in 2010. She placed first in the 500 m event in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Year Place 500 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Allround Age2009 Heerenveen 14 12 19 – – 16.12010 Hamar 5 17 12 9 17.12011 Collalbo 7 19 12 10 18.12012 Budapest 16 20 – – 19.1 2013 Heerenveen 11 22 – 12 20.1 2014 Hamar 16 21 – 16 21.1

Sprint Year Place 500 m 1000 m Allround Age 2017 Heerenveen2 2 2 2 24.1

Single distances Year Place 500 m 1500 m 3000 m Mass startTeam sprintTeam pursuit Age 2018 Kolomna – – –––25.1

World Junior Championships Erbanová participated in four World Junior Speed Skating Championships. Her best allround finish was gold in 2011, at age 18, and she also won medals in 2010 and 2012, bronze and silver respectively. Year Place 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m Allround Teams Age2009 Zakopane 4 – 4 4 16 – 16.32010 Moscow 2 17 – 17.32011 Seinäjoki 2 6 – 18.32012 Obihiro 3 9 – 19.3

National Championships Year Place 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Allround Age2008 rybník Černý x x 4 x 4 16.1

World Cup Legend: did not start = "–" distance was not held = "x" did not finish = "dnf" MS = "mass start" Season Place 100 m 500m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Teams Age2008/09 Berlin x – – – 23/B 19/B x 6 16.02008/09 Heerenveen x – – – – 22/B x 7 16.02008/09 Moscow x x x – x – x –2008/09 Changchun – – – – – x x x x –2008/09 Nagano – – – – – x x x x –2008/09 Kolomna – – – – – x x x x –2008/09 Erfurt x – – 12/B dnf 13/B x 16.22008/09 Heerenveen x x x 2/B x – x 16.22008/09 Salt Lake City – – – – – – x x – 2008/09 – – np (0p) 36 (19p) np (0p) (235p)

Season Place 500m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Teams Age2009/10 Berlin – – 7/B 8/B 18/B x x 17.02009/10 Heerenveen – – 14/B 6/B – x 10 17.02009/10 Hamar x x 11/A x – x 17.02009/10 Calgary – – 9/B 1/B 24/B x – 17.02009/10 Salt Lake City 22/B 15/B 7/B 20/A – x – 17.02009/10 Erfurt – – – – x x x x –2009/10 Heerenveen – – – – – x – – 2009/10 np (0p) 45 (9p) 22 (62p) np (0p) 11 (28p)

Season Place 500m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Teams Age2010/11 Heerenveen 4/B 3/B 4/B 24/A (dq) 17/B x x 18.02010/11 Berlin 14/A 21/A 5/B 14/B – x – 18.02010/11 Hamar x x 2/B x – – 18.02010/11 Changchun – – – – x x x x –2010/11 Obihiro – – – – x x x x –2010/11 Moscow 15/A 14/A 20/A 20/A 11/B x – 18.22010/11 Salt Lake City x x – x – x –2010/11 Heerenveen – – – – – x x – 2010/11 26 (76p) 36 (24p) 33 (24p) np (0p) –

Season Place 500m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m MS Teams Age2011/12 Chelyabinsk 4/B 1/B 2/B 7/B – x x – 19.02011/12 Astana 9/A 10/A 6/A – – x – x 19.02011/12 Heerenveen 14/A 6/A 4/A – x – x – 19.02011/12 Salt Lake City – – – – x x x x x –2011/12 Hamar x x 4/B 21/B x x – 19.22011/12 Heerenveen – – – – x – x – –2011/12 Berlin 13/A 20/A – – – x – – 19.3 2011/12 17 (180p) 18 (124p) 37 (15p) np (0b) – –

Season Place 500m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m MS Teams Age2012/13 Heerenveen 10/A 10/A 7/A – – x – – 20.02012/13 Kolomna x x 2/B – x – x 20.02012/13 Astana x x 7/A x – x – 20.02012/13 Nagano 9/A 7/A 7/A 6/A x x x x x 20.12012/13 Harbin 10/A 12/A 1/A 2/A x x x x – 20.12012/13 Calgary – – – – x x x x x –2012/13 Inzell x x – – x – x –2012/13 Erfurt – – – – x – – – –2012/13 Heerenveen – – – – – x – – – 2012/13 – – – – – –