Olympic sailing champion Mähr ends career

Olympic sailing champion Lukas Mähr is ending his career. He won the gold medal with Lara Vadlau in the summer of 2024 off Marseille, but his focus is now on his family and his business studies. He will complete his bachelor's degree in the summer and is aiming for a career in the private sector. "I am 34. I have achieved my biggest goal. I have another chance to gain a foothold in a new area," said the Vorarlberg native who lives in Lower Austria.

But quitting is not easy, Mähr added in an interview with APA. "Letting go of something you are good at and enjoy doing, regardless of success, is brutally difficult. I am an Olympic champion, what could be better? I would never have dreamed of it." But on the other hand, he is also a family man, has responsibilities and every athlete has an expiration date.

Immediately after his Olympic victory in August 2024, which was attended by his wife Christine and sons Jonathan (now 4) and Lorin (3), he briefly thought "great, that's it". But then he saw the opportunities that were available in terms of support for another four years until Los Angeles in 2028 and briefly pondered. "But at some point reality catches up with you. Four years is a long time."

"The journey is the destination" learned to love

Looking back on his sporting career, Mähr said that "no campaign was easy, but every one was easygoing." With David Bargehr in the 470, who was junior vice world champion in 2010 and third in the 2017 World Championships, Mähr had to wait a long time to take part in the Olympics. For 2012 and 2016, others received the 470 quota place he had sailed, but he missed out on qualification for 2021. Then the 470 became a mixed class and the opportunity arose for 2024 with Vadlau.

"I never imagined that my career would be so long-winded, so complex - with so many wrong turns on my part. I've certainly gotten bogged down far too often in things that weren't so relevant to my performance or that made me faster on the water." So it took a long time, but in the end it bore fruit. "It all meshed together like a cog in a wheel."

Former OeSV sports director Georg Fundak had already predicted that it would be a long way for an Austrian to reach the top in sailing. "I didn't believe him, but he was bitterly right. Every year of my apprenticeship was necessary, when I look back on it. The fact that Lara and I were actually able to achieve this in Paris. Regardless of whether it was in terms of material, technique or mental preparation - we were able to take this with us over many, many years."

The saying "the journey is the destination" gained in importance. It was not as if you suddenly found the magic key, but rather he had to go through the whole journey. He did not enjoy everything, but then he realized: "If you do not start to love this journey, you will not reach the destination." And he realized: work hard every day and still have energy for the next day.

Grateful for the respect shown

Sailing is "such a complex, beautiful sport," and not only in winter sports, but also in summer sports in Austria, for example in swimming or athletics, very professional work is done. "Summer sports are absolutely worth supporting, a lot of cool things happen there," said Mähr, who won the "Team of the Year 2024" vote with Vadlau.

Because of his many stays abroad, he hasn't had many opportunities to attend sporting events in Austria, but he has now made up for that. Among other things, he attended alpine ski races in Schladming and the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. And he enjoyed the exchange with other athletes. "It was awesome, I'm incredibly grateful that we were shown so much respect," said Mähr.