TU Students Compete in Paris

Around 10,500 athletes from 200 countries will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris between 26 July and 11 August. Rower Jonas Wiesen and coach Alexander Weihe are confirmed, while marathon runner Hendrik Pfeiffer will have to hope he can take part as an “alternate” (the Olympic term for a replacement).

Jonas Wiesen steers Germany’s men’s eight

Jonas Wiesen, 28, trains at the National Rowing Training Center in Dortmund. He is the coxswain of Germany’s men’s eight. Although he doesn’t row, he has a lot of responsibilities: “Above all, I help the crew to make the boat go even faster. There are also technical rowing tasks and leading the crew, but also strategic decisions and psychological tasks. I especially like the challenge of synchronizing eight rowers who as individuals all deliver an exceptional sporting performance and by so doing achieve an even better performance as a team.”

Jonas Wiesen successfully completed his Master’s degree in Business Mathematics three years ago and has been studying Applied Computer Science since then. The short distance between the university and the training center on the Dortmund-Ems Canal makes it easier for him to combine training and studying. Nevertheless, due to the extensive training as well as traveling to training camps and competitions, he often misses courses at the university and has to catch up on the material afterwards. “I get a lot of support from TU Dortmund University, both from my fellow students as well as my professors,” says Wiesen.

Another member of the German Rowing Association’s delegation is Alexander Weihe, who is studying for a teaching degree (majoring in sport and German) at TU Dortmund University and is accompanying the team to the Olympic Games as the coach for the men’s coxless pair. 

The men’s eight is currently completing its preparation at the training camp in Ratzeburg. Jonas Wiesen and his team naturally hope to bring home a medal from Paris: The final of the men’s eight will take place on 3 August in the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Special role for Hendrik Pfeiffer

For Hendrik Pfeiffer, 31, marathon runner and Journalism student, it is already the third time that he has been nominated for the Olympic Games. For Paris, he will be standing by as a replacement runner – an “alternate” – in case one of the other three German athletes is obliged to drop out for health reasons. Hendrik Pfeiffer experienced this situation himself in 2016 when he was unable to run in Rio de Janeiro due to injury. His dream of competing in the Olympics then came true at his second Olympic Games when he completed the marathon in Tokyo in 2021 in 2:20:43.

Now he faces the particular challenge of preparing for a race that he probably won’t run and has to wait on standby at home in Hanover until a few hours before the start of the marathon. Although it is rather unlikely that he will be on the starting line in Paris on 10 August, he wants to use this training for the Olympics to get into top form for a marathon in the fall and set about achieving another new best time. He has already significantly improved his performance this year to 2:07:14.

By the end of his career as a competitive athlete, Hendrik Pfeiffer would like to have run all six of the World Marathon Majors. He has already crossed the finishing line in Berlin, Boston, London and New York. Tokyo and Chicago are still on his list.

TU Dortmund University – important partner for competitive sport

Students from TU Dortmund University have regularly taken part in past Olympic Games, too, such as the rower Richard Schmidt, who won gold in the men’s eight in 2012 and silver in 2016. As a partner university for competitive sport, TU Dortmund University helps athletes to successfully complete their academic education despite the demanding time schedule that goes hand in hand with their sport.

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