Brandenburg's Beetzsee becomes a canoeing hotspot: over 750 athletes at the start!

Brandenburg's Beetzsee becomes a canoeing hotspot: over 750 athletes at the start!

Brandenburg an der Havel opened its doors this week for the 34th East German Canoe Racing Championships. From June 26th to 29th, over 750 athletes from 56 clubs flocked to the regatta course at Beetzsee to compete with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. After a somewhat bumpy start on the first day due to stormy conditions, the event was continued smoothly by around 80 helpers, which visibly relieved the organizing committee around the Regattateam Brandenburg Beetzsee e.V. The city of Brandenburg reports that These championships also served as qualification for the German championships in the student A and youth age groups.

This year, SC DHfK Leipzig was the team with the largest number of participants with 80 athletes, followed by SG LVB Leipzig and Kanu Team Berlin, which each had 53 athletes. Overall, competitions were held over distances of 200 m, 500 m, 1,000 m, 2,000 m and 5,000 m as well as all-around competitions. And the paracanoeists were also given partial consideration, with a special award ceremony by Olympic champion Sebastian Brendel, among others. Acquaintances like bronze medalist Anja Adler showed how high the pressure to perform is. A live stream was even offered for the 200-meter paracanoe races and spectators could follow the exciting competitions from the comfort of the stands.

An attractive supporting program

The championships were not just an opportunity for sporting excellence; they also offered a comprehensive supporting program for the spectators. From the first day of the competition, visitors were able to explore culinary offerings and dealer stands showcasing new equipment. Particularly noteworthy was a new cable camera, which for the first time delivered really good images from start to finish. Brandenburg Regattas informs that Free drinking stations were also available for the athletes.

The competitions were conducted fairly and precisely by the timing team, supported by the IMAS company. Spectators could not only follow the competitions live on site, but also from the comfort of their sofa via live stream on Facebook and the regatta team's homepage. Michael Kenzler, vice chairman of the regatta team, looked forward to the upcoming Dragon Boat World Championships, which take place from July 14th to 20th, where more than 4,000 athletes are expected. The Kanu Brandenburg website also pointed out the importance of these regional events.

All in all, it can be said that the 34th East German Canoe Racing Championships were not only impressive in terms of sport, but also brought together a great community of athletes and spectators. Mayor Steffen Scheller emphasized the importance of sport for the region and was pleased with the great atmosphere on site. Thanks to everyone involved, the event was a complete success and certainly left a lasting impression.