Competitive sports (25.09.2025)
Top female athletes at RUB with international successes
With impressive determination and athletic performance, our RUB athletes show top international performances both on the judo mat and on the water in the rowing boat - and celebrate outstanding successes in their sports with European and World Championship medals.
European Para-Judo Championships in Tbilisi
Isabell Thal won the bronze medal at the 2025 European Championships in Tbilisi (Georgia), continuing her impressive run of success. The 26-year-old secured the silver medal at the World Cup in Giza back in August - just one year after finishing a strong 5th place at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
In the individual competition up to 60 kg, Isabell impressed right from the start. She won her opening fight on September 19 against Spain's Marta Arce ahead of time. In the semi-final, however, she was defeated by the reigning world and European champion Daria Stakanova. In the small final, she finally met her national team colleague and former world champion Ramona Brussig. With great fighting spirit, Isabell also won this fight early and deservedly secured third place.
At her side was team-mate Lennart Sass, who even won the gold medal in Tbilisi.
In an interview with University Sports, Isabell summed up her success as follows:
"Third place at the European Championships is a huge success for me, especially after moving up to the higher weight class. The bronze medal here and the silver medal at the World Cup in Egypt show me that it was absolutely the right decision."
As far as her next sporting goals are concerned, Isabell remains highly motivated:
"There's another World Cup in Brazil at the end of the year, and next year the qualifiers for Los Angeles begin. The aim is to collect as many points as possible for the world rankings in order to start the qualification phase in a good position."
The next Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028. We congratulate Isabell on her European Championship bronze and are already keeping our fingers crossed for the upcoming World Cups and qualification for the Games!
World Championship bronze for the women's quadruple sculls
Several students from Ruhr University Bochum are members of the German team competing in the World Rowing Championships currently taking place in Shanghai. Kaspar Virnekäs competed in the men's double sculls, Max John and Wolf-Niclas Schröder in the men's quadruple sculls, Julius Christ in the mixed eight, and Pia Greiten in the women's quadruple sculls.
The team led by Pia Greiten, who rowed as stroke, finished third behind the strong boats from the Netherlands and Great Britain, securing a podium place for the German Rowing Association, as it did at the Olympic Games in Paris. In addition to Greiten, the team consisted of Sarah Wibberenz, Frauke Hundeling, and Lisa Gutfleisch this season. This bronze medal was the first for the German Rowing Association (DRV) at this World Championships. Pia Greiten had already won the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with the German women's quadruple sculls.
We would also like to extend our warmest congratulations to Pia Greiten and wish the entire German team the best of luck for the remaining races!
