Six students from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are going to be taking part in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics which officially open tonight, August 5, 2016. They are studying medical technology, civil engineering and management. But they also do sports – and are so successful they’ll be participating in the Olympic Games opening in Rio de Janeiro tomorrow. Six students from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) – the highest number ever – will be competing for medals in judo, cycling, swimming, sailing, and the 800-meter run.
Judo
Judoka Tobias Englmaier studies Mechanical Engineering. The 28-year old competes in the weight category up to 60 kilograms. From the town of Landsberg, Englmaier is a member of the TSV Grosshadern team. He already participated in the Games in London in 2012. In 2014 he won the German Championship in the adult category. In both the World Championship 2013 and the European Championship 2014, he and his team won the bronze medal. The preliminaries for his weight category will be held on August 6.
Sailing
Ferdinand Gerz sails in the 470 class. He is 27 years old and is studying towards a bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology. He too participated in the Olympic Games in London four years ago, where he and his bowman came in 13th. In 2015 he won the European Championship and in 2016 took 7th place in the World Championship. The preliminaries in Gerz’s category will begin on August 10.
Track and field
Track and field athlete Christina Hering (21) will compete in Rio in the 800-meter run. At TUM she is studying towards a bachelor’s degree in Sport Science. She won the German Championship in the 800-meter in 2014 and 2016; in 2015 she was the runner-up. At the World Championship in 2015, she made it to the semifinal. The women’s preliminaries in the 800-meter run will be held on August 17.
Cycling
Cyclist Claudia Lichtenberg has just received her Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology and Engineering from TUM. She will compete in the women’s road race event on August 7. The 30 year-old has achieved her greatest international successes so far in stage races. She won the Tour de l’Aude Cycliste Féminin as well as the Giro Donne in 2009 as a member of the Cervélo-Lifeforce Cycling Team and the Giro della Toscana Femminile in 2013 as part of an American team. She participated in the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
Swimming
The two swimmers Florian Vogel and Philipp Wolf are pursuing their bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at TUM, training with the SG Stadtwerke München team. Vogel (21), from the city of Bayreuth, will be competing in the 400-meter freestyle in Rio (heat: August 6) and in the 4 x 200 meters freestyle relay (heat: August 9). Wolf, who is from the town of Weiden, will turn 24 years old during the Games in Rio. He has been nominated for the men’s 4 x 100 meters freestyle relay (heat: August 7).
