The German Swimming Association (DSV) announced today, that German Swimming head coach Henning Lambertz will resign from his position at the end of the year for personal reasons.
Henning Lambertz was named the German head coach in 2013. Lambertz explained that he now reached a point where he recognizes that it is not possible to be a caring family father and a good head coach. The 47-year-old has two little daughters: “I’am not with them the most time of the year. That’s not how it should be and I don’t want to continue like that. There have been enough tears in recent years, now it is time for joy and family happiness.”
On December 8th, DSV President Gabi Dörries also resigned; Lambertz referred to this in his remakrs as well: “Ultimately, the resignation of Gabi Dörries was the moment that reaffirmed my decision. In the past years she has always been at my side as a friend and mentor. Together with her, I have followed many visions which I cannot imagine without her.”
Thomas Kurschilgen, Director of competitive sports in the DSV, stated: “I can understand the decision from the conversations with Henning Lambertz, since I once turned my back on competitive sports for a while because I was a father of two children. Until Tokyo 2020, we will divide the head coach’s responsibilities in a competent team of coaches and experts.”
At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, Germany had 5 finals swims and just 1 medal: a silver in the 200 breaststroke from Marco Koch. Lambertz’s tenure has been marked by stiffened standards to qualify for international competition. The result of his tenure: at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, Germany had only 4 individual finals swims, and again just a silver medal: this time from Franziska Hentke in the women’s 200 fly. Germany did show improvement in number of medals won from Lambertz’s first European Aquatics Championships in 2014 (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) to his last in 2018 (2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze)
I’m pretty sure he was asked to leave and they allowed him to save face by letting him make the annoucement and letting him say whatever he wanted. To be honest, it’s hardly surprising. German swimming has been in a coma for a decade now.