When Markus Deibler retired after winning the 2014 World Short Course Championship in the 100 IM in December, in the process breaking Ryan Lochte’s World Record, he joined a list of great athletes who went out on top: Joe DiMaggio, Dominik Hasek, Mark Spitz, Michael Jordan (twice), Pete Sampras, and David Robinson.
And as part of his sendoff, the city of Hamburg, Germany has named Deibler as its 2014 Male Athlete of the Year.
While Deibler’s 100 IM title probably doesn’t match the prominence of the victories of others on the list above, the 24-year old was still on the upward-arc of his career, with his greatest successes still probable to come. The ability of an athlete to walk away by their own terms, however, is a powerful thing.
Deibler was joined in this award by beach volleyball player Laura Ludwig and the HTHC field hockey team at a gala on Monday presented by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.
