Germany’s performance at the 2026 Olympics has sparked a debate about sports funding in Germany. Felix Neureuther and Philipp Nagel discuss the topic with open water swimmer Leonie Beck over pizza and fries.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are history. The German delegation’s performance sparked discussions about the promotion of competitive sports in the Federal Republic. In the BR24Sport podcast Pizza & Fries, Felix Neureuther and Philipp Nagel talk to three-time world champion in open water swimming Leonie Beck about the topic and the question of whether it is still worth becoming a professional athlete in Germany.
Beck: “We definitely don’t do this for the money”
As Beck explains, the financial possibilities in her sport are limited. A career in the World Cup, which consists of five to six races per season, is not enough to be taken care of afterwards. The premiums are simply too low.
“You get $3,000 for a win. And then you go down to eighth place. Then you get another $800 or $500. We definitely don’t do it for the money. The bonus for World Cup gold has now been raised a bit. We get $20,000,” reports the Würzburger. If you win the overall World Cup, you can win at least $50,000. That’s a lot of money. But Beck cautions: “That’s when you’re the best in the world. You have to win everything if you want to achieve that.”
Neureuther: “There is far too little money”
In addition to prize money, athletes in Germany are supported by Sporthilfe. But no wealth is distributed here, also because the organization’s financing is hardly sufficient. Felix Neureuther sees this as a general problem: “There is far too little money to specifically promote competitive and popular sports. 500 million or a billion euros are simply not enough.”
Alternatively, German athletes still have the option of enlisting as a sports soldier in the Bundeswehr. But this option is not equally practical for everyone, as Beck notes: “I decided against the Bundeswehr at the time because many years ago you couldn’t study part-time. I think I was one of the first years where you could have studied part-time, but I never had time for basic training. Six weeks of no training – that wasn’t possible for me.”
Beck: Instagram as a “platform for sponsors”
Beck, who has been training in Italy for several years, is turning to social media: “There’s a lot of initiative involved in building something up. That’s why I started with Instagram, so that you have some kind of platform for sponsors.”
Basically, the three-time world champion believes it is necessary as a professional athlete not to rely solely on her active career. “What I would like to tell everyone is that you have to build a dual career,” she said. Her message: “There is life afterward and you have to prepare for it.”
Neureuther: “My father always said: ‘No skiing without a high school diploma'”
Neureuther sees it the same way. “My father always said: ‘There’s no skiing without a high school diploma,'” explains the former slalom ace. He is grateful to his parents for their advice, even if he thought differently when he was young: “I wanted to stop school after the tenth grade and drop out of school.”
Despite the struggles and financial uncertainty, Beck doesn’t hesitate for a second when she is asked whether she would recommend that children take the path to professional sports: “Of course. You get so much with you for life. So many great values.”
Beck: Support from family is a big factor
However, Beck also has to admit, “It will be difficult without family support. We also have training camps before we get into this funding level. And that costs 2,000 euros or something and you can’t just finance that on your own. You then have to look for part-time jobs.”
Source: Pizza & Fries – with Felix Neureuther and Philipp Nagel February 25, 2026 – 10:00 a.m
