"Old woman has to go" - Beach icon Laura Ludwig stops
German Beach Volleyballers Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann exit early at the Olympics. After the match, emotions run high. 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 in the German House in Paris, swinging her arms emotionally to "Angels" by Robbie Williams. Shortly 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 woman has to step aside and let the young ones take over," she said.
"I want to celebrate a great end to the season with Louisa on the field and take that with me. But then it's over," said the 38-year-old. Together with Lippmann, she wants to play, among other things, the European Championships, the German Championships, and a tournament in Hamburg.
After their third loss 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 had not 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 so happy to be able to 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, her voice breaking. "And then to see these fans who are still there cheering us on, 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 had already been eliminated in the preliminary round with Lippmann.
"We showed it in phases and did really well, but we couldn't consistently get into it. That was the difficulty overall," Ludwig explained. The path to Paris was already difficult 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, Ludwig has also had two sons. Balancing family and high-performance sports is challenging and comes with sacrifices.
Despite the loss, the two players joked with each other and tried to console each other. "I watched Laura on TV in 2016, and that's when I found beach volleyball interesting," said Lippmann, also visibly emotional. Ludwig and Walkenhorst's behavior was her ideal of how to live out her sport.
She was thrilled to experience it firsthand, saying it was fulfilling and left her wanting more. "And then there's the fact that it was intense for both of us too." Now they want to enjoy the Olympic atmosphere a bit more. The pressure of the Games was felt by debutante Lippmann, as well as Ludwig. "There are always such crazy vibes. And you really want to perform at your best every four years, but sometimes you can feel a bit frozen," said the 38-year-old.
Ludwig expressed her desire to participate in the European Championships, German Championships, and a tournament in Hamburg alongside Lippmann before officially retiring from her career after the season. Despite their early exit from the Olympic Games, Ludwig mentioned that she and Lippmann had an exceptional experience, with Ludwig serving as a role model for the younger player.
