Local heroes: Athletes of the Year 2025 have been chosen!

Local heroes: Athletes of the Year 2025 have been chosen!

The athletes of the year 2025 are up for election in the East Frisia region. The selection is colorful and promising: from athletics to table tennis to football, the nominees are active in various disciplines. The OZ has put together the most famous faces that will be pushed forward in the elections.

Verena Coordes is one of the favorites. The long-distance runner from TuS Weene achieved an impressive overall victory at the Ossiloop 2025 with a lead of 15 minutes. Her list of successes is long: among other things, she triumphed in the hour run, the mountain run in Emden and the Midsummer Night Run in Leer.

The talents in the spotlight

Also on the list is 12-year-old Kristin Tuve from Leer, who is causing a stir in table tennis. She gained the attention of the sports world with a state title and impressive placings at national tournaments. She showed her strength at the top 32 national U13 ranking tournament, where she finished fourth, and at the international tournament in Prague, where she took third place.

In football, Jule Götz stands out as the goalkeeper for SpVg Aurich, who is currently spending the winter with her team in second place in the regional league. With only eight goals conceded in eleven games, she is one of the best keepers in the league.

Anke Hölscher, who acts as the highest-ranking referee in East Frisia, plays a very special role. In the 2nd women's Bundesliga she referees with skill and commitment after being active in the men's top league. Her knowledge and experience make her an important support in women's football.

Other athletes in focus

Also worth mentioning is Toma Ihlenburg, who plays as captain for Carl-Zeiss Jena in the women's Bundesliga. Not only is she fighting to stay in the league, but she also has a chance of glory in the DFB Cup - to be more precise, she is in the quarter-finals. And her winning goal in the 1-0 win against Union Berlin is her current highlight.

The bowling world champion Manuela Öing from Warsingsfehn should also not be missed. In addition to defending her title as German over-50 champion, she attracted attention with her individual World Cup title in the USA and a World Cup bronze medal.

In the field of athletics, 14-year-old Amy-Kate Ruck from SV Großefehn was honored as state champion in road running and indoor running. Her impressive pace in the 800 meter and 3000 meter disciplines speaks for itself.

These versatile talents make it exciting not only for the title, but also for the entire sporting commitment in the region. The elections for Female Athlete of the Year are in full swing and include numerous impressive achievements that are being noticed far beyond the country's borders.

A look beyond the borders of East Frisia shows that exciting achievements are also recognized at the national level. The athletes of the year 2025 were chosen at the Kurhaus Baden-Baden Sports picture reported on the successes of Leo Neugebauer in the decathlon, Franziska Preuß in the biathlon and the national basketball team. Preuß even set a new record and was voted Female Athlete of the Year, a title she fought hard for.

Let's look forward to the coming weeks when the votes for the 2025 athletes can be cast. It remains exciting to see who will secure the title in East Frisia and how our local talents compare to the national top. You can find more information about the election and the nominees on the website Olympics.com.