Bronze Medal for RPTU Student at the German Collegiate Judo Championships

For years, judo has been one of the five major sports in which the German University Championships (DHM) are held by the General German University Sports Association (adh), and it is also consistently one of the largest judo tournaments in all of Germany. This year’s DHM took place from November 3 to 5, 2023, and was hosted for the first time by the Judo Club Konstanz in cooperation with the University of Konstanz. Vincent Schiffler, a student at RPTU in Kaiserslautern, took third place in his weight class.

In addition to the athletic competition, DHMs explicitly focus on student interaction, communication, and exchange. This year’s DHM Judo contributed significantly to this goal by opening the championship to judokas from the neighboring countries of Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein, with Konstanz serving as the ideally located host city. At the same time, this Open German University Judo Championship served as preparation for the FISU Games (formerly the Universiade), which will bring international college sports to the Rhine and Ruhr regions in 2025. Furthermore, the DHM Judo served as a qualifier for the German Individual Championships as well as for the 2024 European University Games.

For Schiffler, the competition weekend began on Friday evening with the required accreditation and weigh-in. The bouts began on Saturday, with a total of 400 judokas competing in 14 weight classes for the coveted championship titles. Thanks to professional preparation and smooth organization, the final bouts on Sunday were even able to start an hour earlier than planned.

Schiffler competed in one of the most crowded weight classes (up to 73 kg, 58 athletes). Vincent won his first four matches—all the way through the semifinals—before time ran out. In the semifinals, he was defeated in a close decision, advancing him to the bronze medal match. There, too, he faced a tough battle, which he managed to win, ultimately finishing in third place. First place went to Maxim Malsch from Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, ahead of Nils Piet Bentgerodt (University of Göttingen).

Although Schiffler himself was dissatisfied with his semifinal loss, he viewed his overall performance positively. With this result, he secured his qualification for the German Individual Championships. A decision on his participation in the 2024 EUSA Games will be made following a sports assessment. We say: Congratulations!

The General German University Sports Association (GDHS) comprises 202 member universities with approximately 2.5 million students and 550,000 staff members and promotes the compatibility of academic studies and sports as an important aspect of personal development and maintaining good health. What makes the DHM special is that recreational and amateur athletes compete against elite and competitive athletes. Students and university staff from all German universities are eligible to compete.

For more information and results on the 2023 DHM Judo Championships: www.adh.de/service/newsarchiv/news-einzelansicht/dhm-judo-2023-begeisternde-kaempfe-am-bodensee/