A member of TV Hindelang, Schwandke began his athletic career 13 years ago in Bad Hindelang, Oberallgäu. After joining TV-Hindelang, he initially trained in various disciplines and only began to throw a hammer to improve his coordination. He quickly showed aptitude and began to focus intensively on it and soon gained successes becoming Allgäu Champion, Swabian Champion, and Bavarian Champion.[2]
He won the silver medal in the hammer throw at the 2019 European Athletics Team Championships. He won the hammer throw at the 2019 German Athletics Championships the following month with a throw of 73.00 metres.[3]
He also won the hammer throw at the 2020 and 2021 German Athletics Championships.[4] In May 2021, he set a new personal best distance of 76.71 metres, the best distance by a German hammer thrower since Markus Esser in 2013.[5] Whilst competing at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Schwandke threw 73.77m to finish ninth in qualifying heat B.[6] He finished runner-up to Merlin Hummel at the 2022 German Athletics Championships.[7]
He missed the entirety of 2023 with a back injury.[8] He announced his retirement from competition sport on his personal Instagram account in January 2025.[9]
