German sports stars at Christmas
Olympic heroine serves up a big meal
12/24/2024 – 4:22 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Whether savory or sweet: Germany’s top athletes enjoy the Christmas season with special holiday menus. There is everything from Polish fish dishes to Cameroonian specialties.
As Christmas approaches, Germany’s top athletes are also having a good time. For gymnast Lukas Dauser, the 2023 athlete of the year, there is a clear motto: “Anything goes at Christmas.” The new father traditionally spends the holidays with his parents. The festive menu is set: sausages, potato gratin and sauerkraut. As a midnight snack there is fish, accompanied by “a wine or two,” as he says.
Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber is celebrating the holidays as usual with her family in Poland. The food also follows a solid tradition: “There is traditional Polish food – fish!” After her career ended in the summer, Kerber was spared the stressful trip to Australia this year, which usually began right after the holidays.
Sprinter Gina Brückenkemper and her partner Stefan Vogel present a particularly elaborate menu on Christmas Eve. “We really serve things up,” reveals the 2022 Sportswoman of the Year. The three-course menu includes Parmesan soup, beef fillet with creamed savoy cabbage and triplet potatoes, as well as a homemade dessert: cheesecake with mulled wine topping. “I’ll make the dessert,” says Brückenkemper proudly.
For boxer Nelvie Tiafack, bronze medalist at the Olympic Games in Paris, a meal with his mother is a must. The dishes come from Cameroon: “Beautifully fried plantains and fried fish. There’s definitely also ndolé, a traditional Cameroonian dish,” says the professional. Nevertheless, the 2022 European champion also has room for another wish: “Dumplings with meatloaf – I love them.”
Basketball player Marie Reichert, who sensationally won gold with the 3×3 team at the Olympic Games in Paris, is also taking it easy at Christmas. “You can treat yourself to something at Christmas,” she says. At home she enjoys the holidays with fondue, salads and a dessert that her mother creates every year.