World Cham­pi­onship 2024 – Anna Meixner: "I’ll defi­nitely be there!"

One month to go – will we see you on the ice at the home World Championship?
Anna Meixner: “My goal is definitely to make it to the World Championship. I can’t yet say with 100 per cent certainty whether I will be fit to play. I’m working hard on my rehabilitation and training a lot. It will be close, but I’m giving everything to make it. I’ll definitely be at the World Championship.”

What exactly happened?
Anna Meixner: “During the February break, we had a team camp in Zell am See with two warm-up games against the Netherlands. As a Zell am See native, I had really been looking forward to this camp. My whole family, countless friends and people who have accompanied me along the way were there. I knew almost every face in the arena from the past. In the final shift of the first game, I came in at speed from the side. The defender gave me a little shove, completely normal, but I caught an edge and crashed into the boards with my ankle twisted. I immediately felt that something was wrong. However, I went back onto the ice skating on one leg for the farewell. Afterwards, I went straight to hospital, where multiple ligament tears in my ankle were diagnosed.”

What does your daily routine currently look like?
Anna Meixner: “For the first two weeks after the injury, I had a cast. I also stayed at home with my family for the first few days to process everything. I’ve been wearing a walking cast for around four weeks now. Every day, I go to the rink and the gym with it, do my exercises and work on my skills. I’m making the best possible use of the time to work on myself and my comeback.”

In recent years, promotion to the Top Division has often just been out of reach. Why will it work in 2024?
Anna Meixner: “I think the biggest advantage this year will be the sixth player on the ice: the spectators who are behind us. That can provide the final push, especially towards the end of games when energy levels start to drop. It has always been close in recent years. Playing a World Championship at home will be really cool. Every player will make an even greater effort and put even more into it to get people excited about what we do. We’ve often been in situations where it was close. But at some point, as a team, you reach the stage where you can make it happen, where you are the mentally stronger team.”

Who do you see as the biggest competitors in the battle for promotion?
Anna Meixner: “I think this division is so evenly matched that the difference between promotion and relegation is just a finger’s breadth. But I think the two games against the teams relegated from the Top Division, Hungary and France, will be the toughest.”

Is the team ready for the Top Division and capable of staying there?
Anna Meixner: “I think that, especially over the last few months, the girls have worked extremely hard on themselves. Mentally as well, so that they can withstand the pressure. We know that the goal is within reach. We are an extremely young group, with players who do not yet have as much international experience as, for example, Charlotte Wittich or myself. It is difficult to say whether we can stay in the Top Division if we are promoted. Promotion is what matters first. The games in the Top Division would certainly provide additional experience.”

How do you assess the development of women’s ice hockey nationally and internationally?
Anna Meixner: “When I moved from Vienna to Sweden back then and played semi-professionally there, that was already incredible for me. All the facilities, plus I received a little money. Now, four years later, I am able to work and play as a full professional. That was a dream come true. When you also look at the development in North America, you can see that acceptance is continuing to grow. Work is also being done in Austria to ensure equality between men and women. With win2day, there is also a partner here that supports and promotes this. I would like it to happen a little faster, even though many positive things are currently happening.”

Do you see yourself as a role model for future generations?
Anna Meixner: “Definitely. I think this is a role that I care deeply about. I have already gained a great deal of experience, and there is nothing I enjoy more than when a young girl says she wants to be like me. That drives me. That is why I try to advocate for Austrian ice hockey. I do it so that the generations after me have it better than we did.”

In recent years, the federation has taken many steps to bring women’s ice hockey in line with men’s ice hockey. Are you seeing the benefits of these developments?
Anna Meixner: “Yes. Just a few years ago, we still had to pay daily fees in order to take part in team camps. That is no longer the case today. We now also receive helmets, gloves and trousers. That should really go without saying, but it makes us appreciate this change all the more.”

2024 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WOMEN´S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2024

From 21st to 27th April 2024, Klagenfurt will host the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women´s World Championship 2024. Austria will face Hungary, France, Norway, the Netherlands and South Korea for promotion to the Top Division. Following 2009 and 2017, it is the third Women’s World Championship to be held on Austrian ice.

Schedule

Norway vs. Austria
Sun, 21st April 2024, 18:30, Klagenfurt

Austria vs. South Korea
Mon, 22nd April 2024, 19:30, Klagenfurt

France vs. Austria
Wed, 24th April 2024, 19:30, Klagenfurt

Austria vs. Hungary
Fri, 26th April 2024, 20:25, Klagenfurt

Austria vs. Netherlands
Sat, 27th April 2024, 20:25, Klagenfurt

You can find the full schedule HERE!