Elisabeth Seitz looks at the current abuse debate in German gymnastics with optimism in German gymnastics. “Something is being done,” said the German record champions to the Sport information service (SID).
“It was a huge impact, we are in a crisis,” she described the situation around the abuse reports at the bases in Stuttgart and in Mannheim, which had become public in the months at the turn of the year, “but I see it as an opportunity that we can say in the future: Now it is going really well.”
In February, the 31-year-old also made her own experience of abuse and attacking behavior at the base in Mannheim and made allegations against the national coach young Claudia Schunk. Schunk is currently temporarily exempt from the German Turner Association (DTB).
Seitz is now looking forward to her future life as a mother – on Thursday, in addition to the end of her career, she also announced that she was pregnant. “It has always been my life dream to start my own family,” said the European champion of 2022.
Seitz knew “that the day will come”
The day of farewell was “an absolute emotional chaos” for her. “I would have been doing on loved ones forever,” said Seitz, who had to cancel the home European Championship in Leipzig because of a shoulder injury. “I knew the day I say goodbye today,” she said, “accordingly a few tears went.”
Seitz would like to remain loyal to the gymnastics in the future. She wanted to organize her own training camps and keep motivation lectures, and “everything could happen. I can’t say exactly where it is going.” Seitz was happy about the self -elected time of her farewell: “I always wanted to go myself, not because of a major injury when I was in the hospital. Therefore, after a long consideration, the optimal time was now.”