- Beach duo Ludwig/Lippmann loses German match at the European Championships
Beach Volleyballer Laura Ludwig lost her first match after announcing her retirement. The Rio 2016 Olympic champion, paired with Louisa Lippmann, fell 0-2 (14-21, 19-21) to the German duo Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann in their opening European Championship match in the Netherlands.
At the Olympics in Paris, Ludwig and Lippmann were eliminated early after three losses in the group stage. Afterwards, the 38-year-old Ludwig announced she would retire from beach volleyball at the end of this season. The current best German women's duo, Müller and Tillmann, were also in Paris and lost in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Ludwig's former partner Margareta Kozuch started the European Championship with a win. The 37-year-old, paired with Sarah Schneider, defeated the Italian duo Margherita Bianchin and Claudia Scampoli 2-0 (21-16, 21-12).
In the aftermath of her announcement of resignation from beach volleyball, Ludwig and Lippmann faced early elimination in Paris. Following her retirement at the end of the season, Ludwig's former partner, Kozuch, secured a victory in the European Championship.
