Swimming: Magdeburg swimming stars will train in the converted courtroom in the future

Magdeburg is currently considered a training ground for German swimming: under coach Bernd Berkhahn, Lukas Märtens, Isabel Gose, Florian Wellbrock and Johannes Liebmann, among others, have matured into world class at SC Magdeburg. To prepare for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, the German swimming elite is now moving - to a training center that was most recently used as a courthouse.

The lightweight hall in Magdeburg, where the trial of the Christmas market driver who died took place, will become a sports facility for competitive swimmers in the coming days. A swimming pool has been installed and will be filled with water this week. "When the water is in, we will also build starting blocks," said Magdeburg's head of school and sports, Kerstin Richter.

A trial operation should run for two weeks from the middle of next week. From mid-December, or at the latest from January, all competitive swimmers should train in the former interim court.

The temporary pool should remain in place until the end of June 2028, it said. It is a full Olympic pool measuring 50 meters long, 25 meters wide and 2.10 meters deep. In addition to the pool, weight rooms with training equipment, changing rooms, sanitary and shower containers as well as trainers' offices and meeting rooms were built.

Millions in costs for the city, but also support

Department head Richter said: “This will cost around four million euros by mid-2028.” The city will bear the majority of the costs. The state has promised funding of 700,000 euros, 300,000 euros will come from Lotto-Toto Sachsen-Anhalt. The interim solution is to be followed in 2029 by the new national swimming center to be built, the federal government also contributing to the costs of 51 million euros.

The non-party mayor Simone Borris said that the solution would now free up capacity in other swimming pools for the population and for smaller swimming clubs as well as for daycare swimming. The professionals had trained until recently in the public swimming pool in Magdeburg-Diesdorf.

The interim courthouse was built on state-owned property specifically for the Christmas market trial, which began a year ago. This meant there was enough space for the over 200 co-plaintiffs and their lawyers as well as spectators. It was actually supposed to be dismantled after the trial ended in June. The former hearing room alone is 65 meters long and 30 meters wide.