A majority of German swimmers are considering skipping the upcoming European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Israel due to security fears, it emerged at their national championships over the weekend.
รขโฌลHonestly, for me, the risk just seems too great,รขโฌย said Alexandra Wenk, a world bronze medalist who competes in the womenรขโฌโขs 100-meter butterfly.
Wenk is among 13 of the 25 swimmers who do not want to go to Netanya for security reasons, according to the spokesman of the German Swimming Federation.
Even head coach Henning Lambertz said he was รขโฌลnot hot to go out thereรขโฌย and that he would make a final decision closer to the event.
In contrast, stars like Paul Biedermann and Marco Koch expressed no fear.
รขโฌลThe security in Israel will be good. Itรขโฌโขs no more dangerous than anywhere else,รขโฌย said Koch, the world menรขโฌโขs 200-meter breaststroke champion, who secured his place in the competition by setting a new German record for the 400รโ4 relay medley.
For Biedermann, the decision to go to Israel has nothing to do with security, but รขโฌลessentially depends on my ability to swim fastรขโฌย during the qualifiers. Last season, the double 2009 world champion missed out on a medal at the World Short-Course Championships in Doha, Qatar, but clinched the bronze medal at the World Long-Course Championships in Kazan, Russia.
The German Swimming Federation said it will leave the choice to all swimmers and coaches.
Read The Times of Israel
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