German Olympian Markus Bockermann has announced that he’ll retire at the end of the year. The 32-year-old player is a two times German champion, as well as the winner of several FIVB World Tour events, including last year’s Olsztyn 4 Stars. With his decision, the Bockermann / Lars Fluggen partnership has withdrawn from the European Beach Volleyball Championship starting later this week in the Netherlands. Poland’s Kacper Kujawiak and Maciej Rudol have taken their spot. In the future, Flüggen will team up with Nils Ehlers.
Here is what Bockermann had to say (Cev.lu):
“Beach Volleyball has been my life for over 13 years and I have always played this game with much passion, ambition and fun. Following the wedding with my wife Juliane and the birth of our son almost a year ago, my private life has moved even further into the foreground, so I feel like I do not want to live the life of as a professional athlete to one hundred percent anymore. In the future, I do not only want to spend more time with my family, but I also want to break new ground professionally as industrial engineer. I thank all those who have supported me on this long and intense journey, whether in the private or sporting environment. Without this support, I would not have been able to achieve my sporting success, which I am very proud of.”
His current partner Fluggen also chimmed in:
“Over the past three and a half years, I have experienced with Markus almost everything that is even possible in sports. As outsiders, we qualified for the Olympics, have become German champions, but also had to deal with many setbacks and injuries. That welded us together, on and off the Beach Volleyball court. I can fully understand his decision and respect it. Markus has become a very good friend over the past few years and I wish him all the best for the time after his career, and especially nice moments with his family.”
Niclas Hildebrand, Sports Director in charge of Beach Volleyball at the German Volleyball Federation, also expressed his feelings:
“I would like to thank Markus for his dedication to the sport of Beach Volleyball and the German Volleyball Federation in recent years. He has gone through all the highs and lows as an athlete, but never lost his passion and love of the sport. I have a lot of respect for that. He can look back with great pride on a great career in which he fulfilled his lifelong dream by participating in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Both privately and professionally, I wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
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