'It is sad' - German synchronised swimmers to worlds via donations
Germany's leading synchronised swimmer Klara Bleyer is not happy that the team had to rely on donations to make it to the upcoming world championships in Singapore.
Government funds were not enough to send the full team to Asia, and the swimming body DSV came up with the donation plan in a bid to support the team.
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Bleyer told dpa she is "very grateful" that the DSV took action, but she added: "It is sad that you have to collect donations to send the national team to competitions."
Bleyer is a European champion and could win Germany's first ever medal in the sport at world championships in Singapore.
Bleyer also spoke of poor training conditions in Germany in which they partly have to share pools with school children, and she also criticised the status of sport in Germany in general which she named lower than elsewhere.
"It doesn't feel that good when you look at other countries. Most of the time they have a pool for themselves all day long," she said.
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"I was in Spain a few months ago. They have a big sports complex with the best conditions. That makes you think: Germany is such a rich country. Why does Spain manage and we don't?"
Bleyer suggested that a more centralised approach with one training site featuring a big pool for the whole team could improve the conditions and move the sport forward.
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