Page 44 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

42  INTRODUCING GERM AN Y A POR TR AIT OF GERM AN Y  43

Sport in Germany Formula One

Sport has long enjoyed a significant role in German life Back in the 1930s, motor-racing
both for active participants and spectators. The country was dominated by the famous
regularly produces world champions in a variety of “Silver Arrows”, made by
Mercedes-Benz. Formula One
activities, including football, tennis and motor racing. has been a decidedly German
Excellent facilities exist throughout the country for taking discipline since its beginnings
part in sporting activities, including sailing, swimming, in 1950 and there have always
climbing and skiing as well as in field- or track-based been at least three German
events. Southern Germany plays host to a variety of drivers taking part. In 2014, The Hockenheim race track near Heidelberg
winter sports and competitions. hybrid engines were introduced
and the “Silver Arrows” once As well as in the German Alps, as it was then called. The
again dominated the sport. The which have the most popular following year 20 yachts
teams include a number of Robert Harting taking part in the discus German Formula One Grand Prix ski resorts, excellent conditions competed while thousands of
Football foreign players. The 2006 World competition at a Golden League meeting is held each July at the Hocken- exist for downhill and cross- spectators watched from the
The largest sports organi zation Cup was held in Germany. heim-Ring, near Heidel berg. country skiing in the less shore. The championship went
in the country, the German Germany’s former leading glamorous and less expensive on to become an international
Football Association has over Lawn Tennis driver, Michael Schumacher, Black Forest in Baden- event, which gained in prestige
6.8 million members in some The German Tennis Association won the World Championship Württemberg, and the Harz as the Emperor took part in
25,000 clubs. The national team is the largest in the world with in 1994 and 1995 and every year Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt. each race from 1894 until 1914.
has won the World Cup four over 1.4 million members, from 2000 to 2004. Other suc- Today it is traditional for the
times – in 1954, 1974, 1990 and belonging to some 9,400 clubs. cessful German drivers include Cycling president of the German
2014 – and the European Cup From the mid-1980s, Germany Sebastian Vettel, who was World Federal Republic to formally
in 1972, 1980 and 1996. The became one of the world’s Champion from 2010–2013, and Cycling enjoys a great follow- open the regatta (in the last
women’s national team has most successful tennis nations Nico Rosberg, who was World ing in Germany. The Tour de week of June) in which
won the FIFA Women’s World thanks to some outstanding Champion in 2016. France is broadcast simul- thousands of yachts from
Cup twice – in 2003 and 2007. players. In 1985, aged 17, Boris taneously by two television many countries take part.
One of German football’s Becker became the youngest stations, and ever-increasing
outstanding figures is Franz player to win the Wimbledon numbers of people are
Beckenbauer, a member of the Competing in Hamburg’s annual cham pionships. He repeated taking part in the sport, both Swimming
team that won the European Deutsches Spring Derby his achievement in 1986 and for pleasure and competitively. Swimming, more than any
Cup in 1972 and the World Cup 1989 and was runner-up to Success on the cycle track other sport in Germany, has
in 1974. He trained the team fellow-German Michael Stich has long been a German seen a decline in success
that came second in the 1986 Show-Jumping and in 1991. From 1987–91 Steffi tradition, but Jan Ullrich since reunification and the
Equestrian Events
World Cup and won in 1990. Graf was ranked number one exceeded expec tations subsequent cessation of
Beckenbauer was twice named Show-jumping is another sport among the world’s female when he won gold in the competition between East
Europe’s best footballer. at which Germany excels. Since tennis players. long distance at the Sydney and West. At the 1988
The best-known club is Bayern its introduction to the Olympic Olympics in 2000 and silver Olympics in Seoul, for
München, which has won the Games in 1912, German riders in the 2012 London Games. example, Kristin Otto won
German Cup a record 18 times. have won more than 30 gold Athletics six gold medals. In 2000,
Matches in the elite Bundesliga medals and many more have During the Cold War period, the reunified German team
enjoy a great following. League been awarded silver and bronze. East and West German Severin Freund at a round of the FIS Ski Sailing returned from Sydney
matches are on Friday, Saturday Major equ estrian events are athletes competed against Jumping World Cup in Willingen Kieler Woche is the most having gained only three
and Sunday afternoons while held in Ham burg and Aachen in each other for the glory of important regatta in the world, bronze medals. Two figures
European Cup games are usually June. Ham burg’s Derby Week is their rival political systems according to Paul Henderson, who rose to the top in the
on Wednesday evenings. Club popular with racing fans. as much as for the love of Skiing the President of the Inter- past are Michael Gross, who
their sport. The extraordinary Since 1953, the last week of national Sailing Federation. On was a member of the West
achievements of the East December and the first week of 1 September 1881, five officers German team, and Franziska
German athletes during January have been dominated of the Emperor’s navy held a van Almsick, a member of
that time have since been by the Four Ski Jumps yachting race in the Bay of Kiel, the East German team.
tarnished by revelations of Championship for ski jumpers.
systematic drug abuse. Since This classic event, which is held
reunification, some athletes in Oberstdorf and Garmisch-
have managed to maintain Partenkirchen in Germany, as
their reputations, but the well as in Innsbruck and
majority have not. Bischofshofen in Austria, attracts
Germany’s most important several thousand spectators and
event, the Internationales millions of television viewers.
Stadionfest (DKB-ISTAF), is German athletes have gained
held each year in Berlin, as first place in this competition
Football match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and SC Freiburg, Moenchengladbach the climax of the season. 16 times over the years. Franziska von Almsick during the German Swimming Championships

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm