Lisa Graf
Olympic swimmer ends her career after Corona disease
Swimmer Lisa Graf at the German Championships 2018
© EIBNER / Kleindl / Picture Alliance
Swimmer Lisa Graf is struggling with the after-effects of corona disease. The 28-year-old therefore missed the Olympic qualification and ended her career.
In 2016, swimmer Lisa Graf competed in the 200-meter backstroke at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. When the Summer Games begin in Tokyo in July, the 28-year – old will not be there-this is also due to the after-effects of corona disease. As Graf announced in an Instagram posting, she is ending her career in competitive sports.
During the infection in early January, she struggled with “one symptom or another,” Graf reported. “Then there was a long and rocky road ahead of me in training. Together with my coach Lasse Frank I managed to fight back as best I could.”For the Olympic qualification, however, it was no longer enough:” Unfortunately, complaints still plagued me, which are due to Covid.”Since Graf wanted to end her career after the Olympic Games in Tokyo anyway, her sporting career now ends.
Record holder over 200 meters back
She also does not participate in the current European Championships in Budapest. Her Covid-19 disease was also decisive for this, Graf wrote. At the Olympic Games in Rio, the three-time German champion finished 13th in the 200-meter backstroke. In 2017, she set the still valid German record over this distance.
Now she wants to focus on her” 100% recovery”. In addition, her studies will be in the focus in the future – Graf is enrolled in Leipzig for special education on teacher training. “First of all, we wish Lisa a good recovery, but of course also a lot of success for the time after the sport,” said national coach Hannes Vitense.
Corona diseases and their after-effects can also cause problems in competitive athletes for some time after a survived infection. So reported the wrestler Frank Stäbler, European champion in the weight class up to 72 kilograms, in the star from “extremely severe chest pain” as a result of corona infection. His performance was reduced by 20 percent afterwards: “When I started training again, I felt totally broken – like I was beaten to death.”
Source: Lisa Graf on Instagram
