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221 kg without training: Mayor shines at the stone lifting championship!
On June 22, 2025, the 31st Thuringian Stone Lifting Championship took place in Gräfenroda, a sporting event with tradition and records.
221 kg without training: Mayor shines at the stone lifting championship!
Visitors to the 31st Thuringian Stone Lifting Championship in Gräfenroda last weekend were treated to a real spectacle. Over 20 participants, including some women and juniors from Thuringia, Austria and Saxony, gave their best - and all of this during a colorful supporting program that was organized by the local clubs.
Jürgen Orttmann, the former weightlifting section leader at Chemie Gräfenroda, founded the stone lifting championship when the need arose to create a new sporting event in the region. Inspired by the Bavarian stone lifting on television, the first championship was launched in 1991. It has been a regular part of the annual festivities ever since, with the exception of a few interruptions due to arson and the pandemic.
Growing from great tradition
The event took place again after a three-year break and attracted numerous fans. Mayor Dominik Straube not only showed his support, but also pitched in and lifted a remarkable 221 kg - without any prior training. The original stone used in the competition actually weighs 201kg, but was repaired in 2018 to continue to provide a safe and fair competition experience for participants.
This year the defending champion Tobias Zinserling won, who again led the men's ranking with 402 kg. In the women's category, Annabell Serfling was crowned winner with 201 kg. It was also exciting for the young people: Dereck Zehne, a 20-year-old chimney sweep, was able to lift 241 kg in work clothing and is therefore celebrated as Thuringia's strongest chimney sweep.
The overall number of visitors was pleasing, although the peak number of 1,000 from 1996 is still a long way off. Nevertheless, the award ceremony was a moment full of joy and pride for everyone involved.
A celebration for the whole family
The stone lifting championship is part of a larger festival week that began on June 21st and runs until June 29th. This celebrates not only the championships, but also the 35th anniversary of the FSV and SV 90 Gräfenroda as well as 60 years of weightlifting in the region. At the big opening summer festival, in addition to the competitions, there was also a 3-G run, which gave different age groups the opportunity to put their endurance to the test.
| discipline | distance |
|---|---|
| U8 | 480 m |
| U9-U10 | 960 m |
| U11-12 | 2km |
| from U14 | 7km and 14km |
With all these exciting activities and strong community ties, Gräfenroda shows that tradition and sport go side by side here. The mixture of top sporting performances and a festive atmosphere made the spectators' hearts beat faster and made the stone lifting championship an unforgettable experience.
For everyone who is now interested in becoming active, registration for the next runs is already possible. Anyone interested in the event can register at the email address provided and become part of this wonderful celebration.