Sport in Germany
Encyclopedia
In 2006 about 27.5 million people were members of the more than 991,000 sport clubs in Germany
. Almost all sports clubs are represented by the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund
(DOSB, German Olympic Sports Federation).
twenty-first. If all the medals are combined Germany ranks third. Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games
twice, in Berlin
in 1936 and in Munich
in 1972
. Germany hosted the Winter Olympic Games
in 1936
when they were staged in the Bavaria
n twin towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen. Germany claimed the most gold medals and the most total medals during the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
.
rankings, which are based on the performance of clubs in the UEFA Champions League
and the UEFA Europa League. http://www.5-jahres-wertung.de/APD/Online/5-Jahres-Wertung.htm
Football in Germany is (like in most European countries) the number one assistance and practiced sport. Besides the national league, the Euro cup and the FIFA World Cup has much attention among its population.
Bayern Munich
(German: Bayern München) is the most successful German football club, with 21 national championships, 14 National Cups and four European Champions titles (three European Cup
s and 1 Champions League) to its credit. Like many other German football clubs, Bayern Munich is a multi-sport club.
The German national football team
is one of the traditional powers of international football. It won the FIFA World Cup
in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and the European Football Championship
in 1972 and 1980 as West Germany and in 1996 as Germany. Gerd Müller
is the leading goal scorer for the national team with 68 goals, but his fame is perhaps eclipsed by that of Franz Beckenbauer
who is one of the few men in the world who have won the World Cup both as a coach and a player. Germany also hosted the World Cup in 1974
and 2006
, finishing third in 2006 after losing a close semi-final contest to eventual cup winners Italy.
The women's national team
is also a world power, with its wins of the FIFA Women's World Cup
in 2003 and 2007, making Germany the only nation to win both the men's and women's World Cup and European titles – a rarity for a nation where the center of attention is usually the men's game. Women have their own Bundesliga
, but it is semi-professional and does not command the fan support the men's competitions do. Germany hosted the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Ice hockey is one of Germany's most popular sports, although considering its meaning and spectator favour in the nation it is ranked far behind football. There are many leagues but the top one is the 15 team Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The Germany men's national ice hockey team
features NHL players such as Christian Ehrhoff
, Jochen Hecht
, Dennis Seidenberg
, Thomas Greiss
, Marcel Goc
and Marco Sturm
and NHL prospects like Alexander Sulzer
, Philip Gogulla
, Korbinian Holzer
and Marcel Müller
. The men's national team is currently ranked 9th in the world.
In 2010, Mannheim
and Cologne
co-hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships
. Germany defeated the USA in the opening game in front of a record breaking crowd of 77,803 in Gelsenkirchen's
Veltins-Arena
. Germany finished the tournament in fourth place, the nation's best finish since 1953. German goaltender Dennis Endras
was named the tournament's top goaltender by the IIHF directors and the top goaltender and most valuable player by the media.
around 1850. Heidelberger Ruderklub von 1872 founded in 1872 is the oldest German rugby club.
The German Rugby Federation was set up in 1900. Germany was Olympic silver medallist in rugby union
in 1900.
Today the Germany national rugby union team
competes in the second division of the European Nations Cup
.
, Königssee
, Oberhof
, and Winterberg
.
. However, if medal wins by East Germany and West Germany from 1949 through 1990 are combined, Germany's medal count is nearly double that of Switzerland. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin, André Lange
piloted both the two-man and four-man sleds to gold, sweeping the men's bobsledding events.
, Germany has also been dominant, stretching from luge's foundation in the early 20th century with dominance in the European championships to the Winter Olympics. Noted lugers include Georg Hackl
, Klaus Bonsack
, Margit Schumann
, David Möller
, Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, Sylke Otto
, and Tatjana Hüfner
.
, Germany has been dominant with the likes of Kerstin Jürgens
and Anja Huber
.
is a popular sport in Germany and one of the greatest riders of recent times Jan Ullrich
dominated the Tour de France
in 1997. He finished a full 9 minutes in front of second place rider Richard Virenque. Jan was regarded as Lance Armstrong
's only consistent rival, finishing second to him several times in the Tour de France
.
, basketball
and handball
. Germany was the main base for NFL Europa, an American football
league, hosting five of the six teams at the time that the NFL folded the league in 2007. In domestic gridiron, the German Football League
was founded in 1979. One of the most popular non-football athletes to come out of Germany is Dirk Nowitzki
, who plays power forward for the Dallas Mavericks
in the NBA
. In , he became the first player trained totally outside the U.S. to be named league MVP
, and in 2011
led the Mavericks to their first NBA title.
and Boris Becker
.
As recently as 2007
, Germany hosted three events on golf
's European Tour
—the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe
, the Mercedes-Benz Championship and the BMW International Open
. However, since 2010
, the only European Tour event in Germany has been the BMW International Open. The Players Championship was scrapped after 2007; the Mercedes-Benz Championship was not held in 2008
, resumed in 2009
, and dropped again in 2010. Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer
is the first German to have won a major championship
and is a former World No. 1
. He is now on the Champions Tour
in the U.S. for golfers 50 and over; he has led that tour in prize money in each of his first three full seasons (2008
, 2009
, 2010
), and won two majors
in 2010, namely the Senior British Open
and U.S. Senior Open
. Martin Kaymer
became the second German to win a major championship by winning the 2010
PGA Championship
in Wisconsin
, and in 2011 rose to World No. 1.
Germany is one of the leading motorsports countries in the world. While countless race winning cars have come from Germany, only Michael Schumacher
and Sebastian Vettel
have been Formula One world champions. One other German driver came close to winning the title: Wolfgang Von Trips died in a crash in the last race in Monza in 1961, giving the championship to his Ferrari team mate Phil Hill.
Schumacher has won more Formula One
championships and races than any other driver since the Formula One world championship began in 1950. In 2003, Schumacher set a new record for driver's championships when he surpassed Juan Manuel Fangio
's total of 5 championships, a record that had stood for 46 years since 1957. He is also the highest paid athlete in sports history, with an annual salary of some U.S. $70 million from the Ferrari team, and an estimated $25–30 million more coming from endorsements. In 2005, he became the world's first billionaire athlete, according to Eurobusiness magazine. He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, on his retirement holding 7 championships and every significant F1 record. He has since made a comeback, and in August 2011 celebrated his completion of 20 years in Formula One
In 2010, Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win the world championship; he had already been the youngest ever to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, earn F1 world championship points, start from pole position in an F1 race, and finish as runner-up for the driver's championship.
The DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters)
is the national touring car series. It is considered one of the best touring car series in the world. Many Formula 1 drivers have made the switch to the series, including, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Alesi and others. From 1995, only German marks of cars are allowed to compete in the series. Currently only Audi and Mercedes-Benz compete, but BMW, Opel and Alfa Romeo have a history in the sport. The races are held mainly in Germany, but some races occur elsewhere in Europe. The races draw monster crowds and TV ratings and many celebrities have attended race days.
The 24 hours of Le Mans
is a prestigious annual race held in France, Porsche has won the race 16 times, far more than any other constructor.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Almost all sports clubs are represented by the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund was founded on 20 May 2006 by a merger of the Deutscher Sportbund , and the Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland which dates back to 1895, the year it was founded and recognized as NOC by the IOC.Seated in Frankfurt , it represents 89,000...
(DOSB, German Olympic Sports Federation).
Olympics
In the all-time Olympic Games medal count through 2006 Germany ranks fifth, East Germany seventh and West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
twenty-first. If all the medals are combined Germany ranks third. Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
twice, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1936 and in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1972
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
. Germany hosted the Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
in 1936
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
when they were staged in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n twin towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen. Germany claimed the most gold medals and the most total medals during the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Football
Germany's top level football league, known as the Bundesliga, has one of the highest average attendances of any professional sports league in the world. As of the 2010–11 season, the Bundesliga is placed third in UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
rankings, which are based on the performance of clubs in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the UEFA Europa League. http://www.5-jahres-wertung.de/APD/Online/5-Jahres-Wertung.htm
Football in Germany is (like in most European countries) the number one assistance and practiced sport. Besides the national league, the Euro cup and the FIFA World Cup has much attention among its population.
Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
(German: Bayern München) is the most successful German football club, with 21 national championships, 14 National Cups and four European Champions titles (three European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
s and 1 Champions League) to its credit. Like many other German football clubs, Bayern Munich is a multi-sport club.
The German national football team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
is one of the traditional powers of international football. It won the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and the European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
in 1972 and 1980 as West Germany and in 1996 as Germany. Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
is the leading goal scorer for the national team with 68 goals, but his fame is perhaps eclipsed by that of Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
who is one of the few men in the world who have won the World Cup both as a coach and a player. Germany also hosted the World Cup in 1974
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
and 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, finishing third in 2006 after losing a close semi-final contest to eventual cup winners Italy.
The women's national team
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
is also a world power, with its wins of the FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
in 2003 and 2007, making Germany the only nation to win both the men's and women's World Cup and European titles – a rarity for a nation where the center of attention is usually the men's game. Women have their own Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
, but it is semi-professional and does not command the fan support the men's competitions do. Germany hosted the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Ice hockey
Main Article: Ice hockey in GermanyIce hockey in Germany
Ice hockey is one of the more popular sports in Germany, however it still ranks far behind football in spectator favour and meaning. Ice hockey is organized today in Germany by the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest professional league, and by the Deutschen Eishockey-Bund ice hockey federation,...
Ice hockey is one of Germany's most popular sports, although considering its meaning and spectator favour in the nation it is ranked far behind football. There are many leagues but the top one is the 15 team Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The Germany men's national ice hockey team
Germany men's national ice hockey team
The German men's national ice hockey team first participated in serious international competition at the 1911 European Hockey Championship. When Germany was split after World War II, a separate East German national ice hockey team existed until 1990...
features NHL players such as Christian Ehrhoff
Christian Ehrhoff
Christian Ehrhoff is a German professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
, Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht is a German professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Dennis Seidenberg
Dennis Seidenberg
Dennis Seidenberg is a German professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
, Thomas Greiss
Thomas Greiss
Thomas Greiss is a German professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Marcel Goc
Marcel Goc
Marcel Goc is a German professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Marco Sturm
Marco Sturm
Marco Johann Sturm is a German professional ice hockey winger with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League . Sturm began his career with EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, playing with the team from 1995 to 1997. Selected 21st overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose...
and NHL prospects like Alexander Sulzer
Alexander Sulzer
Alexander Sulzer is a German professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Philip Gogulla
Philip Gogulla
Philip Gogulla is a German professional ice hockey player currently playing for Kölner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
, Korbinian Holzer
Korbinian Holzer
Korbinian Holzer is a professional ice hockey defenceman with the Toronto Maple Leafs.-NHL career:Holzer was drafted 111th overall in the 4th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He began the 2010–11 NHL season with the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies...
and Marcel Müller
Marcel Müller
Marcel Mueller is German professional ice hockey left winger currently with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.-Playing career:...
. The men's national team is currently ranked 9th in the world.
In 2010, Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
co-hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
. Germany defeated the USA in the opening game in front of a record breaking crowd of 77,803 in Gelsenkirchen's
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena is a football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It opened in 2001, as the new home ground for German Bundesliga club Schalke 04....
. Germany finished the tournament in fourth place, the nation's best finish since 1953. German goaltender Dennis Endras
Dennis Endras
Dennis Endras is a German professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with HIFK of the SM-Liiga.-Playing career:...
was named the tournament's top goaltender by the IIHF directors and the top goaltender and most valuable player by the media.
Rugby Union
The first German rugby team was formed at Neuenheim CollegeHeidelberg College
Heidelberg University is a private liberal arts college located in the city of Tiffin, Ohio in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1850, it was known as Heidelberg College until 1889 and from 1926 to 2009.- History :...
around 1850. Heidelberger Ruderklub von 1872 founded in 1872 is the oldest German rugby club.
The German Rugby Federation was set up in 1900. Germany was Olympic silver medallist in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in 1900.
Today the Germany national rugby union team
Germany national rugby union team
Germany is a third-tier Rugby Union playing nation. Germany currently plays at the second level of European rugby but has never managed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup...
competes in the second division of the European Nations Cup
European Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
.
Bobsled, luge, and skeleton
Germany's dominance in this sport can be attributed to them being the only country in the world to have four bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks. These tracks are located in AltenbergAltenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Altenberg, Germany.-History:Altenberg raced bobsleigh as early as 1908 on a natural track going downhill. By the late 1970s, the East Germans who were already successful in luge, began getting...
, Königssee
Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Schönau am Königsee, Germany. It is located near Königssee...
, Oberhof
Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue used for bobsled, luge and skeleton located in Oberhof, Germany.-History:Oberhof had been the home of sledding activities since 1905, mostly bobsleigh. In 1931, the facility hosted the first ever FIBT World Championships in the two-man...
, and Winterberg
Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Winterberg, Germany. It is the only track of its kind in the world with a turn that has corporate sponsorship with turn seven being sponsored by Veltins, a German brewery who has its headquarters...
.
Bobsled
Germany has long been dominant in the sport of Bobsledding having won more medals in the Winter Olympics than any other nation except SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. However, if medal wins by East Germany and West Germany from 1949 through 1990 are combined, Germany's medal count is nearly double that of Switzerland. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin, André Lange
André Lange
André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia....
piloted both the two-man and four-man sleds to gold, sweeping the men's bobsledding events.
Luge
In lugeLuge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
, Germany has also been dominant, stretching from luge's foundation in the early 20th century with dominance in the European championships to the Winter Olympics. Noted lugers include Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won...
, Klaus Bonsack
Klaus Bonsack
Klaus Bonsack is an East German former luger who competed during the 1960s and early 1970s.He was born in Waltershausen, Thuringia....
, Margit Schumann
Margit Schumann
Margit Schumann is an East German luger who competed during the 1970s and early 1980s. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she won two medals in the women's singles event with a gold in 1976 and a bronze in 1972).Schumann also won four consecutive gold medals at the FIL World Luge Championships...
, David Möller
David Möller
David Möller is a German luger who has competed since 2001. He won six medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds , one silver , and one bronze Möller also won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with one gold , one silver...
, Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, Sylke Otto
Sylke Otto
Sylke Otto is a former German luger who competed from 1991 to 2007...
, and Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner is a German luger who is the current Olympic Champion and has competed since 2003. She won the bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin...
.
Skeleton
In skeletonSkeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
, Germany has been dominant with the likes of Kerstin Jürgens
Kerstin Jürgens
Kerstin Szymkowiak is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2002...
and Anja Huber
Anja Huber
Anja Huber is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She earned two gold medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, winning them in women's skeleton and the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event.Huber finished eighth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006...
.
Cycling
CyclingCycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
is a popular sport in Germany and one of the greatest riders of recent times Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004 and third in 2005. He is considered one of the best time-trialists in the history of the sport...
dominated the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1997. He finished a full 9 minutes in front of second place rider Richard Virenque. Jan was regarded as Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
's only consistent rival, finishing second to him several times in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
.
Other team sports
Other popular team sports in Germany include field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
. Germany was the main base for NFL Europa, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
league, hosting five of the six teams at the time that the NFL folded the league in 2007. In domestic gridiron, the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
was founded in 1979. One of the most popular non-football athletes to come out of Germany is Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
, who plays power forward for the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. In , he became the first player trained totally outside the U.S. to be named league MVP
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
, and in 2011
2011 NBA Finals
The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010–11 season of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4–2, to win their first NBA title...
led the Mavericks to their first NBA title.
Individual sports
The two most successful German tennis players of all time are Steffi GrafSteffi Graf
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
and Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
.
As recently as 2007
2007 European Tour
The 2007 European Tour was the 36th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2007 season consisted of 52 official money events, breaking the record of the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the...
, Germany hosted three events on golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
's European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
—the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe
Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe
The Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe was an annual 72 hole stroke play professional golf tournament for men. It was played in Germany and was part of the European Tour schedule. The tournament was founded in 1992 as the Honda Open and acquired the tag of The Players Championship of...
, the Mercedes-Benz Championship and the BMW International Open
BMW International Open
The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. Founded in 1989, it has always been held in and around BMW's home city of Munich, Germany, and since 1997 has been played at the Golfclub München Eichenried....
. However, since 2010
2010 European Tour
The 2010 European Tour is the second edition of the Race to Dubai and the 39th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972....
, the only European Tour event in Germany has been the BMW International Open. The Players Championship was scrapped after 2007; the Mercedes-Benz Championship was not held in 2008
2008 European Tour
The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA...
, resumed in 2009
2009 European Tour
The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp...
, and dropped again in 2010. Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...
is the first German to have won a major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
and is a former World No. 1
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
. He is now on the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
in the U.S. for golfers 50 and over; he has led that tour in prize money in each of his first three full seasons (2008
2008 Champions Tour
The 2008 Champions Tour was the 29th season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 29 official money events with purses totalling $55,625,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer and Eduardo Romero won the most tournaments, three...
, 2009
2009 Champions Tour
The 2009 Champions Tour was the 30th season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 25 official money events with purses totalling $48,875,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer won the most tournaments, four...
, 2010
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...
), and won two majors
Senior major golf championships
Men's professional senior golf is for players aged 50 and above. Golf differs from all other sports in having lucrative competitions for this age group. The leading senior tour is the U.S. based Champions Tour, which was established in 1980 . It has established a roster of five major championships...
in 2010, namely the Senior British Open
Senior British Open Championship
The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
and U.S. Senior Open
United States Senior Open
The U.S. Senior Open is one of the major championships in men's senior golf. It was first played in 1980 and is administered by the United States Golf Association and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
. Martin Kaymer
Martin Kaymer
Martin Kaymer is a German professional golfer. He became the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings on 27 February 2011 after his runner-up finish in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship....
became the second German to win a major championship by winning the 2010
2010 PGA Championship
The 2010 PGA Championship was the 92nd PGA Championship. Martin Kaymer from Germany won for his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Bubba Watson. The tournament began on Thursday, August 12, 2010, and concluded on Sunday, August 15. It was played at the Straits Course of the...
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
in Wisconsin
Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits is one of two golfing destinations associated with The American Club, a luxury resort located in nearby Kohler, Wisconsin, and owned by a subsidiary of the Kohler Company. The other course is Blackwolf Run. The Whistling Straits complex is located in the unincorporated Sheboygan...
, and in 2011 rose to World No. 1.
Motorsport
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
and Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
have been Formula One world champions. One other German driver came close to winning the title: Wolfgang Von Trips died in a crash in the last race in Monza in 1961, giving the championship to his Ferrari team mate Phil Hill.
Schumacher has won more Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
championships and races than any other driver since the Formula One world championship began in 1950. In 2003, Schumacher set a new record for driver's championships when he surpassed Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
's total of 5 championships, a record that had stood for 46 years since 1957. He is also the highest paid athlete in sports history, with an annual salary of some U.S. $70 million from the Ferrari team, and an estimated $25–30 million more coming from endorsements. In 2005, he became the world's first billionaire athlete, according to Eurobusiness magazine. He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, on his retirement holding 7 championships and every significant F1 record. He has since made a comeback, and in August 2011 celebrated his completion of 20 years in Formula One
In 2010, Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win the world championship; he had already been the youngest ever to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, earn F1 world championship points, start from pole position in an F1 race, and finish as runner-up for the driver's championship.
The DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters)
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
is the national touring car series. It is considered one of the best touring car series in the world. Many Formula 1 drivers have made the switch to the series, including, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Alesi and others. From 1995, only German marks of cars are allowed to compete in the series. Currently only Audi and Mercedes-Benz compete, but BMW, Opel and Alfa Romeo have a history in the sport. The races are held mainly in Germany, but some races occur elsewhere in Europe. The races draw monster crowds and TV ratings and many celebrities have attended race days.
The 24 hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
is a prestigious annual race held in France, Porsche has won the race 16 times, far more than any other constructor.