Students who successfully represented the TU Ilmenau in sporting competitions across the country last year were honored for their outstanding achievements. The commitment of long-standing course instructors was also recognized.
Beach volleyball, mountain biking, climbing - in these and other sports, students at TU Ilmenau achieved top rankings in national and regional competitions. A three-digit number of students took part in numerous sporting competitions in 2023. For example, Melissa Moye and Marie-Luise Lüdtke achieved 7th place in the high-class German University Championships (DHM) in beach volleyball out of 32 teams, while Joanna Kus was runner-up in the German University Championships Mountain Bike Enduro. Christoph Hemeling, Robert Reichert and Guido Straube were delighted with their top 10 rankings in the same competition. Felix Bergmann achieved the best result in the IDUS University Run of the German University Sports Association (adh) in the "altitude meters" category, covering a distance of 4.54 kilometers over an elevation gain of 1250 meters in a field of almost 900 students. The TU Ilmenau handball team successfully took part in the preliminary round of the DHM in Darmstadt.
The students were also successful in the Thuringia-wide competition. Jana Konrad came second at the Thuringian University Championships in sport climbing. The volleyball team from the University Sports Center (USZ) was runner-up in the Thuringian University Championships and also came third in the adh German University Cup.
The USZ honored the achievements of its athletes at a festive event. Ulrike Reinhardt, Director of the USZ, paid tribute to their top performances:
'Many things in (competitive) sport can be compared to the challenges in life: you have to work for sporting success, you have to pursue a goal and not be discouraged by defeats and setbacks. Our students have achieved this and successfully represented our university.
"Great respect and recognition"
With 120 courses in over 70 types of sport at the USZ, students and staff have access to a varied sports program for fitness, fun and relaxation. The sports center thus offers a high recreational value and contributes to the attractiveness of Ilmenau as a place to study, as Prof. Kai-Uwe Sattler, President of the TU Ilmenau, said at the award ceremony for the athletes. Students and staff from different fields of study, age groups and nationalities come together at the USZ to do sport together, he said, emphasizing the social component of the sports on offer. The President congratulated the dedicated recipients and thanked them for their commitment:
As competitors, you are brand ambassadors for TU Ilmenau and carry the name of the university out into the world. You deserve great respect and recognition for your ambition and hard work in the competitions.
In addition to honoring the athletes, deserving long-time course instructors of the USZ were recognized for their commitment. "They are essential for a diverse and varied sports program," said Ulrike Reinhardt:
In the area of popular sports, where most of the USZ sports courses can be found, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find committed and qualified trainers. This makes honoring the course instructors in question all the more important.
Jürgen Börner, who ran the USZ until 2008, also received an award from his successor Ulrike Reinhardt and emphasized the importance of sport for a long and healthy life in his acceptance speech.
Students at TU Ilmenau will also have the opportunity to compete with other athletes this year and in the coming years. One particularly big event is already casting its shadow: the RhineRuhr2025 World University Games. The global multi-sport event will bring together over 10,000 student athletes, officials and scientists in Germany for twelve days in July 2025.
Contact us
Ulrike Reinhardt
Head of University Sports Center