Laura Ludwig qualifies for her fifth Olympic appearance.
The Olympic champion returns: Laura Ludwig is participating in the Olympics for a record-breaking fifth time. She earns her place alongside her partner Louisa Lippmann after a thrilling match in the Czech Republic.
Laura Ludwig, an accomplished beach volleyball player, achieved a lifelong dream when she secured a spot in her fifth consecutive Olympic Games. With her partner Louisa Lippmann, the duo defeated their rivals Karla Borger and Sandra Ittlinger in a nail-biting 2:0 (21:14, 24:22) match at the Elite16 tournament in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The formidable pair Ludwig/Lippmann managed to maintain their lead over their national counterparts Borger/Ittlinger in the race for Germany's second Olympic ticket.
The Lisbon Olympic champs were ranked 15th worldwide prior to the tournament, with a sizable advantage of 220 points over their challengers. The loss for Borger/Ittlinger officially eliminated them from the race. Müller and Tillmann, another German duo, also competed in the main draw, having already secured their ticket with their 11th-place ranking prior to the start of the tournament.
Ludwig had expressed her ambitions two years ago in the "Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung," stating that she felt there was still potential and "I can't stop because I love the sport too much and am also too competitive." After winning gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 alongside Kira Walkenhorst, Ludwig took some time off to start a family. She returned to the sport in November 2022, paired up with former indoor national player Lippmann. The pair went on to claim the bronze medal at the European Championship. While Ludwig has participated in four previous Olympic Games, this is Lippmann's maiden voyage to the Olympics. Ludwig won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 with Walkenhorst, and soon after, the pair became world champions. The 29-year-old Lippmann made the switch from the hall to the sand in 2022.
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Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann are set to represent Germany in beach volleyball at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, following their qualification with a close victory. This will be Ludwig's record-breaking fifth appearance in the Olympics, and Lippmann's first, as they aim to bring home another medal for their country, just like they did in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
