"Old woman has to go" - Beach icon Laura Ludwig stops
German Beach Volleyballers Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann exit early in the Olympics. After the game, emotions run high. Just a few hours later, one of them finds clarity. After the season, the long and successful career of Ludwig comes to an end.
Rio Olympics champion Laura Ludwig stood on the stage at the German House in Paris and waved her arms emotionally to "Angels" by Robbie Williams. Just before, the 38-year-old beach volleyball player had made a decision at her fifth Olympic Games: After the season, her long and successful career will end. "The old lady has to step aside and let the young ones take over," she said.
"I want to celebrate one last great season on the field with Louisa and take that with me. But then it's over," said the 38-year-old. Together, they want to play, among other things, the European Championships, the German Championships, and a tournament in Hamburg.
After their third defeat in their third game against the Spanish European Championship runners-up Daniela Alvarez/Tania Moreno, Ludwig had spoken of consultations with her closest circle after the season. She hadn't ruled out another attempt for Los Angeles 2028. But then it happened quickly. "It was quite spontaneous," she said. "Now it just feels like the right time," she explained and joked, "I'm just getting old and need to let the young people take over."
Farewell before family and companions
She thanked everyone who had accompanied her. "Without my family and my team, none of this would have been possible," said Ludwig, visibly moved. Her husband and her two sons were in the audience. "I'm very emotional right now, but I'm just so happy that I can share this with you today." She will always remain loyal to the sport. "I'm just happy to have energy, capacity, and time for something new. Above all, though, to be there for my family," she said, mentioning preparing her oldest son for school.
The 38-year-old is retiring from an exceptionally successful career. She participated in five Olympic Games. In 2016, she won gold in Rio de Janeiro with Kira Walkenhorst. A year later, they became world champions. After being eliminated in Paris, Ludwig struggled with tears. "It's just so bitter that we can't enjoy this stadium anymore," she said in a broken voice in front of the arena under the Eiffel Tower. "And then to see these fans who are still there cheering for us, even though it's over, who are there for us. It's just so bitter that we can't give them more," said Ludwig, who, along with Lippmann, had already failed to advance from the preliminary round.
"We showed it in phases and did really well, but we couldn't maintain it. That was the difficulty overall," explained Ludwig. The road to Paris was tough for the duo. They only found each other in 2022. Lippmann came from indoor volleyball, but the transition was difficult.
Ludwig as a role model for Lippmann
Since her triumph in Rio 2016 alongside Kira Walkenhorst, Ludwig has had two sons. Balancing family and high-performance sports is challenging and comes with sacrifices.
Despite their defeat, the two players joked with each other and tried to console each other. "I watched Laura in 2016 on TV. That's when I first found beach volleyball interesting," said Lippmann, also visibly emotional. Ludwig and Walkenhorst's performance has been her ideal of how to live one's sport ever since.
She was thrilled to experience it firsthand, it made her eager for more. "And then there's the fact that it was intense for both of us too." Now they both want to enjoy the Olympic atmosphere a bit more. The pressure of the Games was intense for debutante Lippmann, as well as for Ludwig. "There are always such crazy vibes. And you really want to perform at your best every four years, and sometimes you just freeze up," said the 38-year-old.
Ludwig and Lippmann plan to play in various tournaments in Europe, Germany, and Hamburg before the end of their season. After her emotional farewell in Paris, Ludwig expressed her gratitude for her family's support, particularly her husband and sons, who were in attendance.
