Thousands
of people in Hamburg on Wednesday welcomed Germany's Olympics team back from London.
The team, who won 44 medals, arrived on aptly named cruise ship MS Deutschland.
More than
20,000 people waited for hours to welcome the German team back, and more than
100 smaller boats accompanied the luxury cruiseliner as it sailed up the river
Elbe before docking.
After
spending two nights on the ship, more than 200 of the 391 athletes Germany sent
to the Olympics were greeted by a Hamburg choir dressed as fishermen and women
as they disembarked.
Unsurprisingly,
the athletes said they enjoyed the opportunity to relax on the ship after years
of hard work preparing for he Games.
"We
had two great days, the best thing was the pool party yesterday evening,"
said gymnast Fabian Hambüchen, who won a silver medal in the men's high bar.
"We
had a really great time, the days on the ship were unforgettable," said
Moritz Fürste, a gold medallist as part of the men's field hockey team.
"I'm really grateful to have been able to experience it."
But after
the highs - and in some cases, lows - of London, some of the athletes were
happy to be back in the country they represented. Some thought the atmosphere
surrounding their arrival in Germany's second-largest city reminded them of the
British capital.
"The
Olympics were amazing," said Helena Fromm, who won a bronze medal in
taekwondo. "The atmosphere in the city, in the arena ... the atmosphere
here in Hamburg is pretty close too."
One of the
lowest moments for the German team in London was the voluntary departure of
rower Nadja Drygalla, who quit the team over questions about her personal
relationship with a far-right German politician.
Germany's team was on the MS Deutschland for two days |
On
Wednesday, officials confirmed a report in newspaper Die Welt that the 23-year-old
Rostock resident is still being considered as a potential candidate for the
Bundeswehr's sporting program. The Bundeswehr is the German armed forces. Since
leaving the team, Drygalla has distanced herself from right-wing organizations.
Official reception
in city hall
After
presenting their medals and signing autographs the German athletes took five
barges along Hamburg's canals to city hall, where an official reception awaited
them.
At the 2012
Olympics, German athletes won 44 medals, including 11 gold medals.
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