What’s new from the HYLO® Sport family
Our #hyloathletes have been putting in exceptional performances once again this week. We take a look back at the last seven days’ events and competitions featuring our athletes, teams and clubs.
1. FC Saarbrücken TT: third Champions League triumph in a row!
1. FC Saarbrücken TT have done it again! At the ETTU HYLO® Champions League final four in the Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, the team secured the sought-after title for the third time in a row. Saarbrücken highlighted their dominance at the highest levels of European table tennis with a strong performance in the final against Borussia Düsseldorf.
After a confident semi-final defeat of KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów from Poland on Saturday, FCS TT faced their long-term rivals Borussia Düsseldorf on Sunday. The final lived up to its promise: an intense duel between two top German clubs with a dramatic course of events, strong-nerved players and an enthusiastic audience that transformed the hall into a proper table tennis arena.
Patrick Franziska was initially narrowly defeated by Källberg, before Truls Möregårdh, Darko Jorgić and Franziska once again ensured a 3:1 win against Düsseldorf with strong performances. This triumph rounds off a 1. FC Saarbrücken TT season that has not gone entirely to plan on a national scale, but has seen them make their international mark once again.
Winning the Champions League title was not the only highlight for 1. FC Saarbrücken TT fans: the club also caused a stir off the playing field by signing Fan Zhendong. The Chinese superstar, Olympic gold medallist and world champion will be playing for FCS TT next season. This transfer is a milestone for the club and sends a strong signal to the world of table tennis.
More details of this historic success and new signing can be found in the detailed news report on HYLO® News!
Gymnastics Festival and European Championships – Leipzig becomes a gymnastics hub
From 26 to 31 May 2025, Leipzig became the stage for the Artistic Gymnastics European Championships, held as part of the International German Gymnastics Festival. The German gymnastics team impressed with some strong performances and emotional moments.
The gymnasts of the German Gymnastics Federation gained a silver in the team competition, whilst Karina Schönmaier celebrated her first major solo triumph with gold in the vault. Among the men, Nils Dunkel won gold on the parallel bars, whilst Timo Eder won bronze and also secured a gold with Schönmaier in the mixed team competition, a first for the European Championships.
One moving moment was waving goodbye to Andreas Toba, who ended his career with a silver on the horizontal bar. Elisabeth Seitz also retired – marking a significant shift for women’s gymnastics in Germany.
More about these successes and departures can be found in the detailed report!
You can watch highlights of the Gymnastics Festival in our vlog series on YouTube.
Anyone wanting to relive the special atmosphere of the Gymnastics Festival should watch our ‘All Eyes On the Gymnastics Festival’ vlog series! Across six episodes, we took a look at the most emotional moments, special impressions and personal stories from this mega event in Leipzig.
HYLO® Javelin Meeting 2025: Julian Weber triumphs once again in Offenburg
On 1 June 2025, the ETSV 1846 Jahn Stadion in Offenburg became the setting for some top-class javelin competitions. The 9th HYLO® Javelin Meeting saw top national and international athletes coming together to test their mettle in some exciting duels.
Julian Weber provided the highlight of the day, dominating the competition with an impressive run. He exceeded the 80-metre mark on his second attempt and ultimately managed a throw of 86.18 metres, securing a confident win in the men’s competition.
The women’s competition also offered a thrilling duel: Jo-Ane du Plessis narrowly defeated this year’s top athlete Adriana Vilagos with a throw of 62.35 metres. Meeting director Boris Obergföll commented that the women had to contend with difficult conditions: ‘The women’s distances came in slightly low, they had to deal with more difficult conditions than the men due to the headwind’.
The competition did not go as hoped for local heroes Johannes Vetter and Max Dehning. Vetter ended his competition after two invalid throws and explained: ‘Getting started in competition conditions was just too much for me’. Dehning managed 73.03 metres, but failed to meet his expectations.
As well as sporting highlights, the meeting also brought together some javelin legends. The more than 1000 spectators included such greats as Petra Felke, Miklòs Nemeth and Andreas Hofmann. In addition, 4000 euros were donated to the Freiburg Children’s Cancer Hospital.
Füchse Berlin make their mark in title race
Last week, Füchse Berlin made their ambitions of achieving their first German championship title clear in impressive form. In their top game against MT Melsungen on 29 May 2025 in the Max-Schmeling-Halle, the team celebrated a dominant 37:29 home win that allowed them to pull away from their direct competitors in the title race. In front of 9000 delighted fans, world-class handball player Mathias Gidsel was once again the stand-out with 15 goals. Tim Freihöfer (8 goals) and Lasse Andersson (6 goals) also played a major role in the win.
Coach Jaron Siewert seemed happy after the game:
That was a very dominant performance in the last 40 minutes. We kept up our philosophy of play in our defence and our pace.
Just a few days later, on 1 June 2025, Füchse faced TVB Stuttgart for an away game and were similarly unstoppable. They secured more crucial points in the championship race with a clear 35:20 victory. Once again it was Gidsel who shone with his goals, whilst Dejan Milosavljev exasperated the opposing team with strong saves.
These two wins mean that Füchse Berlin remain at the top of the table with a very good chance of being crowned the German champions for the very first time. Füchse Berlin are just two matches away from the biggest success in the club’s history.
On Thursday they face VfL Gummersbach in their home Max-Schmeling-Halle, before the season finale against Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Mannheim on Sunday (8 June). The aim now is to take the final step and secure their first German championship title. Go, go, Füchse Berlin!
BIKE AID celebrate successes and special moments at the Tour of Iran
From 27 to 31 May 2025, Saarland’s professional Team BIKE AID showcased their skill at the Tour of Iran. Thanks to two stage wins, a double podium finish in the overall rankings, and a win in the team rankings, the team have shot back with some impressive sporting success.
BIKE AID impressed with their determination and team spirit in the challenging stages around Sahand mountain. Eritrean Milkias Maekele, just 19 years old, won the first stage in the sprint and wore the leader’s jersey for several days. Dawit Yemane secured the first climbing stage and took the yellow jersey from his teammate. Milkias Maekele and Yoel Habteab ultimately took second place in the overall rankings, with a win in the team rankings rounding off their strong performance.
This is the third overall podium finish for BIKE AID this season, all in top UCI category races. This continues a winning streak that showcases the team’s potential.
However, the Tour of Iran was more than just a sporting success. The trip was a formative experience for the young European athletes, far beyond just the races themselves. Despite political tensions and travel advice, BIKE AID found an atmosphere of warmth and openness. Encounters with locals demonstrated once again that sport can build bridges – between cultures, countries and perspectives.
BIKE AID are remaining true to their concept: elite performance paired with responsibility and a conviction that cycling can achieve more than just winning medals.
Setback for Hornets against Mainz
On Saturday (31 May 2025) the Saarlouis Hornets faced Mainz Athletics 2 at their home ball park. The double-header became a difficult day of play for the home team.
The Hornets never really managed to gain a foothold in the first match. Defensive errors and multiple double plays against the team ensured that Mainz took control early on. The away team then consistently exploited weaknesses and secured a clear 11:1 win.
The second match also began with a challenge: Peter Mick had to be replaced after just two innings due to dizziness, whilst Ivan Razvan was missing due to playing with a representative team in New York. Despite the relievers’ best efforts, Mainz’s strong attack was difficult to halt.
After the game was halted due to thunder and lightning, the Hornets then started to fight their way back. Two home runs and three runs put the team at 7:10, but they failed to manage a full comeback.
These two defeats put the Hornets down to third place in the table. However, there is still plenty of the season left to go – we have only just reached halfway and the team are determined to be back on the attack.
Next match
The Saarlouis Hornets face the Bad Homburg Hornets at their home ball park on 15 June 2025. The double-header begins at 12 p.m.
SuperMoto elite delight with only German world championship race in St. Wendel
From 30 May to 1 June 2025, the sporting town of St. Wendel became a SuperMoto hub. The Grand Prix of Germany, the only German race in the FIM SuperMoto World Championships, saw the best drivers on the scene offer up exciting races and spectacular duels.
Reigning world champion Marc-Reiner Schmidt was at the centre of the action. Despite difficult weather conditions, he confidently won the first race on Saturday evening, relegating Elia Sammartin and Lukas Höllbacher to lower spots.
On Sunday, Schmidt headed directly to the front in the fast race and secured a confident win. The super final had to be restarted due to an early crash by Denis Fligr. Schmidt provided an exciting duel with Höllbacher, until the latter made an error off-road and Schmidt was ultimately able to win through. He beat Bonnal and Höllbacher and extended his World Championship lead to 241 points.
The International German SuperMoto Championship (IDSM) was also part of the event. Alongside the S1 class races, the S2 to S5 competitions and the 40+ category offered additional excitement.
Eddy Frech was able to celebrate being the fastest rookie. He finished in 21st place on Saturday after a minor crash, but astonished with a strong sixth place in the super final.
Read more about the event here.
Mittelländisches Schwingfest: Ledermann withdraws early
The Mittelländisches Schwingfest, one of the most traditional Swiss wrestling tournaments of the season, was held in Uetendorf (CH) on 31 May 2025. Countless top Swiss wrestlers competed in front of a sold-out crowd of just over 5,000 spectators. The competitors included Michael Ledermann, who was seeking to showcase his skill once again after his win at the Seeländisches Schwingfest.
Ledermann began the competition by drawing the first round, before securing a win in the second. However, after this promising start, he was forced to withdraw early due to an injury. Details of the precise type of injury are not yet clear. We wish Michael all the best and a quick, healthy recovery.
The Mittelländisches Schwingfest provided some high-quality bouts, with Fabian Staudenmann emerging as the ultimate winner.
We are looking forward to upcoming appearances from our #hyloathletes and wish all of our HYLO® partners much luck and success.