Sunday 18th July 2021
With less anticipation to Tokyo
German Olympic team takes “fear” with them
Many athletes from Germany travel to the Olympic Games with great anticipation. But on the way, the German team also takes worries with them that are only partially alleviated by corona cases on site. The most important goal is therefore clear.
Moritz Wagner and Co. were still fooling around in the noble airport lounge full of anticipation, when Laura Ludwig was already looking forward to “magical” moments in Tokyo – but shortly before leaving for the Olympic Games, DOSB President Alfons Hörmann slowed the euphoria. A large part of the German team embarked on the trip to Japan on flight LH716 with big question marks and mixed feelings.
“We are in the mode that it is less the anticipation, rather the concentration, not to make any more mistakes in the last few meters,” said delegation head Hörmann at the official farewell at Frankfurt Airport: “Our task is to get the athletes there as well as possible and bring back the last athletes from Team D in good health and health by August 9th at the latest. “
This is “not just an empty phrase, but our primary goal. That counts as much as one or the other medal more,” said the head of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) before the departure of 84 team members. Of course, “some form of worry and fear flies with us all in a certain way”. In addition to Hörmann, the basketball players around Mo Wagner, beach volleyball Olympic champion Ludwig and water diver Patrick Hausding were also on board.
“Different”, but still “special”
The first corona cases in athletes are already causing concern before the start of the summer games, including two athletes from the South African soccer team tested positive in the Olympic village. “It may sound absurd. Two such cases that have become known are, in my opinion, even encouraging. This shows that there is clear testing,” said Hörmann.
Ludwig, on the other hand, feels “absolutely great anticipation, despite all the imponderables. It tingles because it starts now,” said the 35-year-old before her fourth participation in the Olympics. In the past few days, she and her three-year-old son watched the final of Rio 2016 again. It will “of course be different”, but when the family of athletes from all over the world come together, it will always be “something special”.
The basketball players, who had only bought their ticket for the summer games at the beginning of July, boarded the plane in a good mood. “We are so happy that we are here,” said captain Robin Benzing, while his teammates smirked in the background: “The atmosphere is good, we just laugh. This is a breathtaking team. I’m just overjoyed.”
For days, Hörmann has been in close contact with Dirk Schimmelpfennig, the Chef de Mission, who is already taking care of the difficult organization on site. At take-off, he was clearly more tense than the athletes, and the DOSB boss also waived any targets. “Anyone who deals intensively with the athletes knows that there is no need for any special motivation,” said Hörmann: “Everyone flies there to do great things for themselves.”
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