- Olympic champion Ludwig ends her beach volleyball career
Olympic champion Laura Ludwig is retiring from beach volleyball after this season. "I want to celebrate a great end to the season on the field with Louisa and take that with me. But then it's over," the 38-year-old said after being eliminated in the preliminary round at the Olympics in Paris. Together with Lippmann, she still wants to play the European Championship, the German Championships, and a tournament at the Hamburger Rothenbaum.
"It was quite spontaneous," Ludwig said. "Now it just feels like the right time," she explained and joked, "I'm just getting old and need to let the young ones take over."
Farewell among family and companions
She thanked everyone who had supported her. "Without my family and my team, none of this would have been possible," Ludwig said, visibly moved. Her husband and 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. And especially to be there for my family," she said, mentioning preparing her oldest son for school. Afterwards, "Angels" by Robbie Williams was played for Ludwig, and she swayed her arms on stage.
A great career comes to an end
The 38-year-old is retiring after an incredibly successful career. She participated in five Olympic Games. In 2016, she won gold in Rio de Janeiro with Kira Walkenhorst. A year later, the two became world champions.
After giving birth to two children, Ludwig fought her way back to Paris with former world-class indoor player Louisa Lippmann. There, the duo was eliminated on Saturday after a disappointing preliminary round without a win.
Ludwig and Lippmann aim to compete in the upcoming European Championship before concluding their beach volleyball journey. Despite retiring from the sport after this season, the Olympic champion intends to support her oldest son during his school preparations.
