Zittau sends athletics talents to German championships!

Zittau sends athletics talents to German championships!

July 4th, 2025 is an exciting day for the young athletes of the O-See-Sports club from Zittau. Sophia Heidrich (14) and Lucas Eifler (15) are making their way to Ulm, where they will take part in the German Youth Championships. Her coach, Matthias Aust, is there with a lot of expectation, as the standards for qualifying for these prestigious competitions are anything but easy.

Sophia qualified in the 800 meters, her favorite discipline in which she continues to impress. With a best time of under 2:20 minutes, which she achieved in Dresden on June 14, 2025, she proves that she is ready to face the challenges. The standard for the championships is 2:22 minutes, which she has already achieved. Lucas, on the other hand, achieved his qualification over the shorter distances, 100 and 300 meters. His best performance over 100 meters is 11.73 seconds, and he is also fast over 300 meters at 37.13 seconds. In order to be able to compete in the final of the top eight over 300 meters, he needs a time of under 36 seconds.

About the athletes

Sophia Heidrich discovered her love for athletics at an early age, inspired by sports on television. Since then, she has been training regularly 3-4 times a week and taking part in a special support course at her school. Her last competition where she was able to try out tactics was the State and Central German Championships, which she skillfully won.

For Lucas Eifler, who has been active for six years and trained at the O-See-Verein for four years, the journey doesn't end yet. In the Central German Championships he was runner-up in the long jump, although he only missed qualifying for the German Championships by 3 cm - a very hard piece of work for the young athlete.

Competition and live stream

The title fights will take place on an exciting date this year. Sophia will compete in the semifinals of her 800 meter race on Saturday at 3:15 p.m., with the final following on Sunday at 2:50 p.m. Lucas, on the other hand, has scheduled his 300 meters semi-final for Saturday at 4:45 p.m. and the grand final will take place on Sunday at 3:40 p.m. Other sprinters from the O-See club also tried, but narrowly missed qualifying for the relay.

The German Youth Athletics Championships have a long tradition that goes back to 1937. Athletes under the age of 20 can take part, and special competitions for the U16s were introduced in 2014, making Sophia and Lucas' current participation all the more significant. A live stream of the entire championships will be available via the Athletics Federation's official website, allowing fans and supporters to watch the competitions from the comfort of their own home.

Our fingers are more than crossed for our young talents in Ulm, and we are excited to see how they do!