"An all-round successful weekend full of sporting highlights and in a unique ambience" - Carsten Krebs from the organizer eichels: After the 15th Hanover Triathlon, the event was able to draw an unreservedly positive conclusion: "We have both the elite athletes and the amateur athletes only received positive feedback and are more than satisfied in every respect."
On Saturday, two local heroes from Hannover 96 made their mark at the German championships by winning the bronze medals. While Haupt only had to let go of Simon Müller from Lübeck (1:50:28) and Philipp Dressel-Putz from Plauen (1:50:45) in 1:52:25, only the new title holder Jenny Jendryschik ( Hamburg; 1:59:34) and Hannah Arlom (Emsdetten; 2:00:43) faster than Brunkhorst (2:03:50).
History was made
The final of the 1st Bundesliga was steeped in history, where serial winner Buschhütten had to bow to the SG Potsdam team after winning nine titles in a row for the newly crowned double European vice champion Laura Lindemann. "It means so much to us," said final runner Jule Behrens proudly at the finish: "I think we made history today and achieved something very special." Lindemann was particularly impressed by the great scenery: "The ambience and the spectators along the route clearly deserved the grade one plus with asterisks!"
The Empire Strikes Back
The men's showdown went according to the motto "The empire strikes back". With the two Hanoverians Jonas Schomburg and Justus Nieschlag, as well as the German champions Lasse Lührs and Maximilian Sperl, the EJOT Team TV Buschhütten wiped out the shame of losing the title last year and swung back to the throne with a sovereign day's win. "A super cool race," said Nieschlag, who consistently pushed the pace on the bike course and pulled Sperl away from the competition on his rear wheel to then send his teammate onto the running course with a large lead. "I really suffered from Justus' rear wheel," admitted Sperl: "But in the end the tactic worked completely."
Promotion to the first Bundesliga
On Sunday, after the popular triathlon (winner Philipp Fahrenholz / Hannover 96 and Franziska Jeschke), the players from the second federal league came to play. Here the men of the KTT Team Cologne and the women of Team Berlin in the north, and the DSW Darmstadt (men), as well as the TSV Amicitia Viernheim in the south secured the daily victories. The hosts of Hannover 96 managed to jump from seventh to fourth overall with third place in the day's standings. Both teams from Berlin in the north, as well as the women from Viernheim and the men from Darmstadt, secured the right to advance to the first Bundesliga.
Conclusion
"A highly impressive event," said Axel von der Ohe, Hanover's 1st City Councilor, in praise of the multifaceted spectacle in the heart of the state capital, which had brought almost 2,000 active people to the different routes: "Hannover has shown once again that it is and will remain a sports city!" A praise that was also echoed by the regional president Steffen Krach: "A huge respect for all participants but also for the organizer - it was simply great fun to experience the enthusiasm here."
