- Locality-based policymakers are advocating for the establishment of a public swimming facility in Magdeburg.
After the triumphant showing of German swimmers at the Olympics, the government of Saxony-Anhalt is advocating for a swimming facility in the state capital. As Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) stated in the state legislature, "The future of swimming in Germany is in Magdeburg." The athletes from Saxony-Anhalt delivered impressive performances at the Paris games. It's in the national interest to build on these achievements, she argued.
Swimmers from the federal training center in Magdeburg have bagged over 25 medals at the Olympics and World and European Championships in the last five years. Lukas Martens clinched the gold medal in the 400m freestyle at the Summer Games in Paris. The team comprises key swimmers like Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock and Isabel Gose, who bagged a bronze medal in Paris. Furthermore, long-distance national coach Bernd Berkhahn is stationed in Magdeburg.
Andreas Silbersack, the leader of the FDP faction, stated that the swimming center should be established in Magdeburg and not elsewhere. He highlighted the possibility of Germany bidding for the 2040 Olympic Games. "It's a sound investment to bring the German Swimming Center to Magdeburg for that," he said.
The Olympic Games have been a significant platform for the achievements of Swimmers from Magdeburg, with Lukas Martens securing a gold medal in the 400m freestyle at the recent Summer Games. With the potential of Germany hosting the 2040 Olympic Games, establishing a swimming center in Magdeburg could further boost Germany's swimming prowess at such global events.
