Six-time European Junior champion Isabel Gose will be joining some of Germany’s top swimmers at SC Magdeburg once practice is able to resume, as the 17-year-old is making the move from SV Nikar Heidelberg “primarily for family reasons.”
Gose, who spent two years in Heidelberg, simply wants to be closer to her family.
“I simply lacked the haven of peace in Heidelberg,” she told DSV, translated from German. “I felt a great need to come back home.”
Her parents, along with younger brother Paul, had moved from Berlin to Osterburg two years ago, which is when Gose departed Potsdamer SC and went to SV Nikar Heidelberg.
“I felt very comfortable in Heidelberg too, but it was no longer enough for me to sit on the train for six hours for a short visit to Osterburg,” said the 2019 European medalist. Her new home in Magdeburg is now just a short train ride from Osterburg.
Gose will room with “best friend” and fellow Magdeburg swimmer Pia-Sophie Berndt, and will have the opportunity to train with the likes of Florian Wellbrock and Sarah Kohler, two of the best distance swimmers in the world. In November 2019, Kohler broke the women’s short course world record in the 1500 free.
Other notable names who have represented SC Magdeburg at recent meets include 2016 European champion Franziska Hentke and Worlds semi-finalist Aliena Schmidtke.
Madgeburg is one of a handful of training centers in Germany where a few elite swimmers are being allowed to train at a time. Among other stars, World Champion Philip Heintz is training in Heidelberg.
Gose has already found success under the guidance of the head coach in Magdeburg, Bernd Berkhahn, as she followed his training plan for this past SC season. Gose, who will turn 18 in one week, broke the German Record in the 400 free in November, and followed that up by winning silver at the European Championships in the event in December.
In addition to her SC silver in 2019, Gose also won a bronze medal at the 2018 European Long Course Championships in the women’s 4×200 free relay. At the European Junior Championships she owns a staggering 14 medals from her two appearances, including a 2018 gold in the 200 free and five titles in 2019 (100, 200, 400 free, women’s and mixed 4×100 free relay).
Founded in 1955, SC Magdeburg is a multi-sport club in Germany that offers handball, athletics, canoeing, gymnastics and rowing, in addition to swimming.