Germany hopes to finish in the top 10 in the medal table at Paris 2024 Olympic Games with canoeing and rowing events expected to be major contributors to its medals.
By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Germany's delegation has set its goal to defend the country's position among the top ten in the medal table.
At Tokyo 2020, Germany took 10 gold, 11 silver and 16 bronze medals.
In the Rio Olympics in 2016, 42 medals were won by German athletes, with 44 having been won in London four years previously.
"We want to defend the ninth position in the medal ranking we achieved at the 2020 Tokyo Games. We have been in the top ten and intend to make it again," said Torsten Burmester, chairman of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the umbrella organization of Germany's Olympic sports.
Olaf Tabor, Chef de Mission of the DOSB, spoke about a "Team Germany" in the French capital containing up to 430 athletes.
"We want to compete on a high level and leave our marks," Tabor added, calling it a great opportunity to "have Games more or less around the corner."
Despite growing security concerns regarding major sporting events, "we have full trust in the French authorities," Tabor said.
The official announced that Germany's Olympic team would be accompanied by specially trained federal police forces in collaboration with French forces.
Tabor said: "We attend the games with a good feeling and expect atmospheric competitions." DOSB president Thomas Weikert spoke about "great anticipation when it comes to the Paris Games."
Both officials noted the increase in qualified team sport squads, such as women's handball and basketball.
According to the DOSB, support systems have been improved, while coaches and athletes complain that funding is still at a concerningly low level. Reforms of the support system in recent years have not yet met the expectations of coaches, medical staff and athletes, but there seems reason to hope for improvement.
The disappointing performance of Germany's hockey teams in recent years has been solved, the DOSB claim.
Canoeing and rowing remain the major pillars next to equestrian, swimming, cycling and shooting events, with Oliver Zeidler in the men's singles and the rowing eight said to be in a promising position.
Long jumper Malaika Mihambo, javelin throwers Julian Weber, Max Dehning and Johannes Vetter, gymnasts Darja Varfolomeev and Lukas Dauser are expected to compete for top honors, in addition to tennis star Alexander Zverev.
Decathlon athlete Leo Neugebauer improved his performance to a world-class level and also is considered a medal hopeful. "I feel perfect and am dreaming of a medal," said Neugebauer.
Discus throwers Mika Sosna and Kristine Pudenz also look in good shape, as well as shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye.
Swimmer Florian Wellbrock, a gold medalist at Tokyo 2020, and World Championship 100-meter butterfly champion Angelika Kohler also expect success.
Table tennis veteran Timo Boll finds himself facing his seventh Olympics. The 43-year-old is aiming at a medal in the team event together with Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Patrick Franziska. ■
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