Elena Semekhin has lost sponsors.

Because of pregnancy: Swimming ace loses sponsors

The visually impaired world-class swimmer Elena Semechin has lost sponsors because of her current pregnancy.

20 April 2025

From: dpa/det

“It’s actually like this: I lost one partner and one partner paused their support, and we’ll talk again in January,” said the 31-year-old two-time Paralympic champion on Saturday evening in Current sports studio opportunities, ZDF. "These are thoughts and worries that you have. How will I finance myself, with another child coming along?" reported the Berliner.

At the end of March, Semechin announced that she and her husband Philipp were expecting their first child together. The three-time world champion is four months pregnant.

Hardly any eyesight and brain tumor

The Kazakh-born athlete suffers from Stargardt's disease. She says she is at risk of completely losing her remaining vision, which is already only two percent. Semechin was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the end of 2021, after her gold medal triumph in Tokyo. Despite the subsequent chemotherapy, the Berlin native continued training and returned to the world elite. After her second victory in Paris last September, she was the German flag bearer at the Paralympics closing ceremony.

Comeback after birth and destination Los Angeles

After the birth of her child, the 31-year-old is planning her return to competitive sports and has set her sights on competing at the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. "I want to compete in LA. As a mom, why not? I can give it a try. That would be my fifth Games. I think it's still possible because I still have the desire, I still have that fire and that motivation," she said.

However, this also depends on the course of her pregnancy. "It's a challenge. I underestimated it a bit," she said. She also thinks a lot about how she'll receive support during pregnancy and afterward as a mother, both financially and with childcare. "I simply wish there was more support for all expectant mothers in all sports," Semechin said.