Early exit at the Beach European Championships
Laura Ludwig is about to completely end her career
After announcing her retirement at the disappointing Olympic Games in Paris, Laura Ludwig also had to leave her last European Championship early: the Rio Olympic beach volleyball champion was eliminated with her partner Louisa Lippmann in the round of 16. Ludwig only has two appearances left.
Rio Olympic champion Laura Ludwig said goodbye to the European Championship stage with a defeat. The Hamburger and her partner Louisa Lippmann lost 0-2 (12:21, 18:21) to the two-time European champions Tina Graudina/Anastasija Samoilova from Latvia in the round of 16. Last year, the German beach volleyball duo secured bronze, but at their last European Championships in Arnhem, Netherlands, Ludwig was already over before the medal games.
Ludwig, who will end her career after the season, made her European Championship debut 20 years ago. Since then, she has won ten medals at the continental championships, securing the title four times. On her farewell tour, the 38-year-old wants to take part in the Elite16 tournament in Hamburg (August 21st to 25th) and the German championships in Timmendorfer Strand (August 29th to September 1st).
Müller and Tillmann in the quarterfinals
The German champions Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann, on the other hand, confidently made it to the quarter-finals. The 2022 World Cup third-place finishers beat Jagoda Sliwka and Aleksandra Wachowicz from Poland 2-0 (21:15, 21:14) in the round of the best 16; Müller/Tillmann have not yet lost a set during the tournament. In the round of the best eight, the two will meet Ludwig/Lippmann's opponents in the round of 16 in the evening. The Latvian Graudina/Samoilova ensured that Müller/Tillmann were eliminated from the round of 16 at the Olympic Games in Paris last week.
The European Championships are also over for Ludwig's previous partner Margareta Kozuch. The 37-year-old lost with Sarah Schneider against the Swiss Esmee Böbner/Zoe Verge-Depre 1:2 (21:17, 16:21, 9:15). The Olympic silver medalists Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler will compete in the round of 16 this evening.
