German archers dare to dream of Rhine-Ruhr 2025 glory

DUISBURG – Germany’s archers are drawing on a blend of big‑stage experience and what they call a “new fire” as they prepare to turn the Rhine‑Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games on home soil into a memorable outing.

“If I speak for the men’s team, but also for the women’s and for the compound team, we’ve all done at least some junior competitions internationally,” Jonathan Vetter (GER), a student-athlete from HS Pforzheim, told the FISU Games News Service (FGNS).

“I know that all of us have been at European youth cups, and at least four or five have been at world cups, so we have experience.

“But we also have a new fire, I would say, so maybe that’s our biggest strength.”

Vetter, who competed at the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games and is a Team Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Ambassador, anchors a 10-strong German archery team hoping to make the most of familiar surroundings.

A bronze medallist in recurve at the 2021 World Archery Youth Championships, the 24‑year‑old mechanical engineering student believes his track record is a resource to lean on when competition begins next Tuesday at Sportpark Am Hallo Stadion in Essen.

“Archery is one of the main or big sports where experience is very important and which, a lot of the time, may be the most important thing,” Vetter said.

“I'm happy that I am experienced. When I go to a world cup, I still feel young compared to others and here I'm more of the older ones, so maybe I can take that advantage with me and then see what these FISU Games bring.

“In archery, it’s always difficult to say in the first place what the ranking will be because some matches are so short and only like a snapshot from the competition.

“We always have the chance. It is really possible for us to be on the podium.”

Confident Klinger

Vetter’s teammate Johanna Klinger (GER) is also lining up for her second FISU Games.

An undergraduate informatics student at the Technical University of Munich, she recently claimed the German University Championship recurve title, and arrives in Essen full of confidence.

“I’m really looking forward to competing against athletes from other countries at these Games,” Klinger, 21, told FGNS.

“I think the biggest rivals are going to be the Koreans. They are always really strong.

“There are a lot of other good archers, too, from around the world who have been to the Olympics and world championships, and who will be here at these FISU Games. It’s going to be a very good contest.

“There’s Lisa Barbelin (FRA). She won the (Olympic women’s individual) bronze medal in Paris last year.

“And from Korea, there’s Nam Suhyeon (KOR), who won the silver in Paris last year, so they are really experienced athletes.

“As for us (Germany), I think especially in the team division with my teammates Regina Kellerer (GER) and Clea Reisenweber (GER), I think we can have a glance at medals.

“We are a strong team and if every one of us does a good job, there is definitely a chance.”

Archery at the Rhine‑Ruhr 2025 FISU Games will be held over five days from 22 to 26 July, with about 300 student-athletes competing in qualification and elimination rounds at Sportpark Am Hallo Stadion and two days of finals at Zeche Zollverein.

FGNS ag/pg/mb