What’s new from the HYLO^® Sport family 

There has been lots of sporting activity from our #hyloathletes – plus an event that has made its mark. We take a look back at the last seven days’ events and competitions featuring our athletes, teams and clubs.

‘Speedklettern in der City’ delights St. Wendel

On the last weekend in July, ‘Speedklettern in der City’ (‘speed climbing in the city’) in its new format transformed Schlossplatz in St. Wendel into a vibrant sporting arena. On Friday (27 June) visitors could have a go at family climbing, whilst a colourful programme of events with a bouncy castle, carousel and bouldering wall provided additional entertainment.

Saturday was all about elite sport: the junior competition opened proceedings from 1 p.m., then the international elite of the speed climbing scene were centre stage from 3 p.m. Joining the fray were top athletes from the Paris 2024 Olympics lineup, as well as members of the German national team. Anyone able to come and watch live could follow the goings-on from their own home via the live stream on hylo.sport and our YouTube channel, which proved to be a very popular service. The main competition, with qualifiers and final, began at 4 p.m. – and lived up to its promise.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd, participants offered exciting duels on the 17-metre-high wall. One particularly spectacular moment was Leander Carmanns setting a new German record of 4.96 seconds in the bronze playoff to secure third place. The winner was Ludovico Fossali (5.06 seconds), ahead of Denys Mozoleych (5.12 seconds). 

For the women, Polina Khalkevych triumphed with 7.49 seconds, followed by Julia Koch (8,60 seconds) and Mina Josephine Schultz (8.80 seconds).

The young talent also put in strong performances: the junior competitions were won by Roman Ovcharenko (8.75 seconds) for the men and Julika Reuter (9.56 seconds) for the women. The event finished with a medal ceremony and then a party with live music.

Mayor Peter Klär sounded delighted: 

Speed climbing right at the heart of our city was a huge success – in terms of both sport and atmosphere. Thank you to everyone involved who helped to make this weekend possible.

New chapter for Waschi – Tsugaru Strait the next goal

On 28 June, Andreas Waschburger began the next stage in his Ocean’s Seven project: he and his team set out for Japan. After arriving in Tokyo on Sunday (29 June), he is now beginning his final preparations for the fifth stage – crossing the Tsugaru Strait.

This strait between Honshu and Hokkaido is one of the most challenging stretches on the list – marked by strong cross-currents, variable weather and tight time windows.

The planned swim attempt has been set for between 7 and 11 July. Until then, his schedule includes intense training sessions and coordinating final details with the local boat team.

If you are interested in following this journey in real time, our Instagram channel will be offering regular updates, impressions and insights. 

And if you fancy getting in the mood for this next chapter, take a look at our YouTube playlist with a look back at the four stages completed so far.

Strength of nerve and efficiency: Hornets gain double win against Whippets

Last Saturday (28 June 2025), the Saarlouis Hornets faced the Darmstadt Whippets in their home ball park – a 2. Bundesliga Südwest double-header that absolutely delivered. In perfect conditions, the two teams provided two duels that boasted high-intensity sporting action as well as plenty of tension.

Game 1: early dominance, late jitters

The first game of the day began in promising form: the Hornets got going early, gained an attacking foothold in the game and developed a clear lead. After some brief initial issues, pitcher Yannik Petry found his rhythm in the third inning and provided stability. The match seemed under control until the sixth inning – and then the momentum turned. Darmstadt took advantage of errors and came dangerously close in the final inning with seven runs. Closer Ivan Razvan managed to carry the narrow 9:8 lead through to the finish with two vital outs.

Game 2: tense right through to the finish

The second game saw the two teams evenly matched. This was a game shaped by defence, with few runs on either side. Peter Mick served as starter for the first two innings, then Ivan Razvan headed to the mound and put in a strong performance for five innings. The Hornets made more consistent use of opportunities and ultimately gained a narrow 5:4 victory.

Two wins that send a message

The weather was not the only thing that played ball – the matches also put Saarlouis in a genuine baseball mood. With two vital wins, the Hornets have gained valuable points in the race for playoff spots.

Things continue next weekend with a home game against Heidelberg – once again in Saarlouis ball park.

Hurricanes challenge Schwäbisch Hall – with a razor-thin defeat

The Saarland Hurricanes put in a strong performance in their GFL duel against the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns on Saturday (28 June 2025), keeping pace for a long time. In summery weather at the OPTIMA Sportpark in Schwäbisch Hall, the visiting team from Saarland held strong for much of the match – but were ultimately beaten with an incredibly narrow score of 26:30.

After a strong start, including touchdowns by Josh Liggett and two field goals by Jannis Kaiser, the away team were even in the lead at times. Quarterback Maximilian Kuhlenkamp and receiver Spencer Corona also provided vital points.

However, the home team consistently exploited individual errors in the last quarter. A final drive by the Unicorns brought the deciding touchdown barely a minute before the final whistle. A last attempt by the Canes went unrewarded, leaving the scoreline at 30:26 to Schwäbisch Hall.

Despite this defeat, this performance left its mark. For much of the game, the Hurricanes provided a top team with an evenly matched duel.

On Saturday (5 July) the Canes are welcoming the Allgäu Comets to the Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in Völklingen for a home game.

Podium finish for BIKE AID – Schiffer shines in national championships

BIKE AID professional Anton Schiffer caused a stir at the German National Road Race Championships from 27 to 29 June in Linden near Kaiserslautern: the 25-year-old secured third place final sprint and with it the bronze medal – marking the greatest national success so far in the Saarland team’s history.

This race, covering 198 kilometres and around 4000 metres of altitude, was marked by changing groups and a fast pace. Schiffer remained in the broader front group for a long time, until a small breakaway group made up of him, Emanuel Buchmann and Maximilian Schachmann formed in the penultimate lap. Other cyclists caught up in the last lap, but Schiffer held firm in the final climb and raced his way to third place with a strong finish – in the same time as second-placed Felix Engelhardt and just a second behind winner Georg Zimmermann.

I could never have dreamed this would happen

Schiffer said after the race. Reaching the podium as a Continental team cyclist against countless World Tour professionals was, in his words, ‘something very special’.

This result is a milestone for BIKE AID – and further proof that the team from Saarland can also compete on a national level.

We are looking forward to upcoming events and appearances from our #hyloathletes and wish all of our HYLO^® partners much luck and success.