Festivities: Sausages to Parmesan soup: What sports stars eat at Christmas

Every year the time for feasting comes. Or as Turner Lukas Dauser reveals: “Anything goes at Christmas.” The 2023 athlete of the year is celebrating with his family this year. “It’s traditional at my parents’ house to have sausages with potato gratin and sauerkraut,” says the “new dad.” The midnight snack is usually fish, with “one or two wines”.

Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber is spending the holidays “like every year” with her family in Poland. The feast is also established: “There is a traditional Polish food – fish!” Kerber should also be able to enjoy this and digest it in a relaxed manner: After her career ends in the summer, the tennis ace does not have to travel to Australia on Christmas Day, as has so often been the case so far. The United Cup and the Australia Open take place there in December and January.

The menu for sprinter Gina Brückenkemper and partner Stefan Vogel is more unusual. “We really serve things up,” says the 2022 Sportswoman of the Year. On Christmas Eve there is a three-course menu consisting of Parmesan soup and beef fillet with creamed savoy cabbage and triplet potatoes. “Everything is cooked by myself,” emphasizes Brückenkemper and adds: “I make the dessert, there is a cheesecake with a mulled wine topping on top.”

For boxer Nelvie Tiafack, one thing is certain: “Eating with mom is a must!” The holiday recipes come from Cameroon, says the professional, who won bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris: “Beautifully fried plantains and fried fish. There’s definitely also ndolé, a traditional Cameroonian dish.” And the 2022 European champion has one more wish for Christmas: “Dumplings with meatloaf – I love them.”

Is Marie Reichert, who sensationally won gold with the 3×3 basketball players in Paris, also feasting? “Oh, you can treat yourself to something at Christmas,” she says. “Because the break is very short, I’m enjoying the break at home and getting the most out of it.” The process seems well-rehearsed: “We always have fondue and then salads. My mother makes a different dessert every year.”