What sport did Till Lindemann play and why did he end his career?

Till Lindemann’s name is primarily associated with the band Rammstein, heavy music and eccentric appearance. However, the rock artist’s childhood and youth were spent not in a music school, but in a swimming pool, where Till was prepared to win the Olympics.

His father and grandmother believed in sports success more than in musical success, but his rebellious character and fear of losing prevented Till from becoming a famous swimmer. We tell about the artist’s success in swimming and how he left it.

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The pinnacle of the swimmer’s career

In the GDR, where Till Lindemann was born and grew up, the authorities spent a lot of time developing programs for athletes, and sports clubs gave the opportunity to practice for free. From the 1960s, choosing a sports club became mandatory for the younger generation, as authorities and coaches looked for talent to take top places in competitions.

When Till was 10 years old, his father brought his son to swim at the SC Empor Rostock section, dreaming of seeing his son take a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics. It’s worth noting that Lindemann Jr. was indeed considered a candidate for the GDR national team, so he was often taken to competitions in the USSR and other socialist camp countries.

I was always trembling three days before the competitions. Everything made me tense: the strict concentration, the endlessly long wait until you finally get to the start. And when the whistle blows, it’s a relief. Already when I was diving into the water, I knew whether it would be a good time or not.

The pinnacle of Till Lindemann’s sporting career was his participation in the European Youth Championships, which took place in Florence in 1978. Such competitions were seen as a screening of candidates for the national team that would represent the country at the Olympics in Moscow. Till competed in the 1500 meters, but came seventh, because of which he quarreled with his coach and decided to quit swimming.

Quitting the sport

The promising swimmer from the GDR was dropped from the team for his rebellious shenanigans. While Federico Silvestri, Eduard Petrov and Sergei Kalashnikov were preparing for a swim in Florence, Till traded erotic photos and magazines with his peers from capitalist countries and ran away from the national team without informing the coaching staff in order to walk around the city.

According to the official Rostock Sports Club, Lindemann ended his career in 1979 due to injury. But Rammstein fans are sure that only the Stasi (the name of the GDR Ministry of State Security) and vindictive coaches prevented their idol from becoming an Olympic champion.

Life after swimming

Till then developed knee problems and decided not to continue his swimming career outside of the Rostock Club. He turned his attention to music, disturbing the peace at his father’s house.

He often listened to Motörhead, Deep Purple and Mike Oldfield. The latter, by the way, liked Werner Lindemann. Today Till is very sorry that his father did not have time to see how this hobby brought him worldwide popularity.

I have already thought up some songs for Rammstein during training. For example, “Fire and Water.” The song, by the way, although it’s about a swimming pool, it’s really about girls and love.

He still swims before concerts, trying to keep in shape. He admits that his muse often comes to him while swimming.