There is a sense of isolation as Vanessa Herzog powers gracefully around the long track. She is the text book display of how to ice skate at a sprint. Her blades catch the light and flash a steady rhythm: slow-slow as she glides down the straight, quick-quick round the bend.

Watch a speed skater – especially in long track where there isn’t the need to keep a wary eye on crowding opponents – and you see a stare of introspection, a focus not on the ice but the air somewhere in the middle distance. To study a long track speed skater is to observe an expression of pure self-focus. As Vanessa Herzog skims the ice at speeds well in excess of 30mph (and yes that is faster than Usain Bolt) there appears to be nothing beyond her own realm.

But for all that apparent aloneness, behind the scenes of any speed skater is a bustling support team who, with their tweaks and fine-tunes, must squeeze the last vital hundredths of a second from their charge. At the head of the team is the coach, and it is a relationship that is paramount to the athlete’s success.

“In my case it’s special since my husband is my coach. That means we are 24/7 together and on the road which makes us stronger, and is a key to our success. I personally believe that every world class athlete needs very special support in order to achieve outstanding results.”

The commitment of an athlete’s support team is key. In the case of Vanessa Herzog the dedication of her team is rewarded in full: they apply the engineering, she delivers the results. At least for now – there’s a long season ahead.

But as she skates faster and climbs more podiums around the world, that Olympic title becomes less of a dream and more of a realistic end-goal.

Still, the here-and-now must be attended to. This weekend the Austrian record holder over 500m, 1000m and 1500m, goes to Heerenveen in the Netherlands with an aim to continuing her World Cup winning form. For the winter months the competitions run almost non-stop.

Coupled with the ceaseless training, Vanessa Herzog adheres to an exhausting schedule and for the up and coming young skaters out there it might seem a daunting one. And before any athlete gets even a sniff of an elite podium, they must hone their skills in tandem with a ‘normal’ life. Education, earning a living, paying for all that travel and equipment and expertise. I’ve spoken to skaters, sliders, skiers and boarders and one common denominator is this: it doesn’t come easy.

It is a reality that’s as true for speed skating as it is for any other winter sport. It’s like Chris Mazdzer told me: “You will run into adversity. You will fail at your goals and it’s all about your attitude in getting right back up and trying again.”

There are many reasons not to make a go of it as a world-class athlete. There is one very compelling reason, Vanessa Herzog says, to stick at it.

“If you are talented enough and you are 100% confident that you are capable of sustaining the hardest training you can imagine, then go for it, since it is very simply the best sport in the world.”