Two world champions in the Bundestag

A farewell and a new beginning. But if so, then with large dishes. World champions go, world champions come. At least that is what the election for the new Bundestag in Germany revealed. Eberhard Gienger, high bar world champion in Varna in 1974 and winner of the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Montreal two years later, has made way. Since 2002 he has sat in the Bundestag for the CDU and was spokesman for the sports working group there. He was also a member of the parliamentary group executive committee. Beautiful or? “Sport Working Group”. How does that sound! Sport is worth as much or as little to German politics. No separate ministry like in England or France.

In Italy, for example, Vincenzo Spadafora takes care of sporting matters. This is not unimportant, because sport is a mainstay of society with all the clubs and activities that are offered. It's basically a shame that too little attention is still paid to sport in many political committees. It has always been like this in Germany. The respective interior minister is usually also responsible for sports matters. Unfortunately, Eberhard Gienger has not changed anything in this regard in all the years in which he has been politically active, or has not been able to change anything. They are there quickly, the ladies and gentlemen politicians, when finals are on the program and when they receive media attention. Well, they support the athletes financially and through their institutions (Bundeswehr, customs, police). And maybe once a year they even discuss it. Otherwise: none. Eberhard Gienger's popularity was of no use. He was basically just a little piece of jewelry in the machine and of course his sporting successes helped get him into the Bundestag. Maybe he wasn't resolute enough and probably realized very quickly that the name alone doesn't bring about any changes. I know him well. I did gymnastics with him at the German Championships in Berlin in 1968. The sport is completely underrepresented He has won. I allow myself to spread the blanket of silence about my placement. But I learned a lot in these two days of the twelve-event competition on all apparatus. Now a young colleague has succeeded him. Admittedly from another party (SPD), but also a big, even a really big name, which I know well due to my work as a biathlon commentator at Eurosport. Frank Ullrich (63) managed to defeat the CDU right-winger and former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, in his constituency in Thuringia. Clearly and clearly, even the Greens, without their own candidate, recommended Ullrich. Of course, he is known in his hometown of Schmalkalden, a few kilometers from Oberhof, the biathlon stronghold. He was the Olympic sprint champion in Lake Placid and a multiple world champion. And for a long time he was also the head coach of the German biathletes and cross-country skiers. Arguable and quite stubborn.

We had no contact for a whole season because he could react quite harshly to critical comments. That leveled off again with a glass. “Sigi, we have to end our war,” he said at one point, opening the trunk of his car in the parking lot in Pokljuka (Slovenia). We drank a shot and from then on we spoke to each other again. I then invited him to a golf tournament that I had organized and I also congratulated him on entering the Bundestag and asked him to hit the drums. The sport is still completely underrepresented. Claudia Pechstein didn't make it Only the former professional track cyclist Jens Lehmann (53) is still there. He defended his direct mandate. In contrast, Claudia Pechstein, the most successful German Winter Olympian, did not make it into the Bundestag. Two former athletes are among the estimated 770 MPs, the majority of whom probably have a profession that allows them to take on the adventure of politics. Many of them are civil servants and lawyers. There are few brave freelancers. This is the case everywhere because it takes a little courage to have to face a choice again and again. Even though both Lehmann and Ullrich belong to different parties, it would be desirable if they could come together. True to the motto: What can we two world champions change? What can we do for sport? Both know how one can and must fight in order to be successful. And two voices can also be loud, even if everything currently revolves around the question: Who will be the successor to Angela Merkel, who was in the VIP stand at all the important football games. But that alone won't serve the sport, which is facing major problems, especially in these times when so many have been lost to sport due to the pandemic. A sporting spirit of optimism is necessary. Frank Ullrich and Jens Lehmann are not to be envied.

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Two world champions in the Bundestag

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