The Paralympic summer games in Tokyo have ended with a big closing ceremony. And there were reasons for everyone to celebrate – above all the athletes from TSB Bayer 04 Leverkusen: the Paralympians from the Rhineland picked up eight medals and helped Germany to finish twelfth in the international medal table (13 golds, 12 silver, 18 bronze).
Taliso Engel set a new world record (1:03.52 minutes) in a previous round of the 100 metre breaststroke race. He was unable to match that in the final (1:02.97) as he won gold for Germany.
There was similar success for Johannes Floors: The Paralympic sprinter impressively lived up to his role as the favourite in the 400 metres race as he finished first. Floors run the race in 45.85 seconds. It was his first individual gold. (I could cry. I've worked for five years to be at the front and run it down," said the 26-year-old after his triumph. Floors also picked up a Paralympic bronze in the second discipline, the 100 metres race.
Markus Rehm Also comes home with a gold medal. The 33-year-old won his third long jump gold medal in succession in Tokyo. Rehm triumphed in the rain with a jump of 8.18 metres, 79 centimetres ahead of the Frenchman Dmitri Pavarde.
Léon Schäfer (long jump/100 metres) and Irmgard Bensusan (100/200 metres) just missed out on gold. in the competition of above-knee amputee long jumpers, Schaefer won the silver medal and he finished in third place in the 100 metre sprint. Bensusan finished second behind Marlene van Gansewinkel over 100 metres as well as over the double distance.
Germany's sitting volleyball team, with the Leverkusen athletes Dominik Albrecht, Stefan Hähnlein, Lukas Schiwiy, Jürgen Schrapp and Mathis Tigler starting, achieved sixth place – the Germany team lost out to Egypt's after a total of five sets (23:25, 26:24, 18:25, 25:22 and 8:15).
An overview of the TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen athletes at the Paralympics: Taliso Engel (swimming), Nele Moos (100 metres/400 metres), Léon Schäfer (long jump/100 metres), Johannes Floors (100 metres/400 metres), Markus Rehm (long jump), Irmgard Bensusan (100 metres/200 metres), Maria Tietze (100 metres/200 metres), David Behre (relay), Lise Petersen (javelin), Dominik Albrecht (sitting volleyball), Stefan Hähnlein (sitting volleyball), Lukas Schiwiy (sitting volleyball), Jürgen Schrapp (sitting volleyball), Mathis Tigler (sitting volleyball).
The Germany U19 team were beaten 2-0 by record champions Spain in the final of the U19 European Championship in Wales. Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan at SV 07 Elversberg) were in the starting line-up and played the full 90 minutes.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed France U17 international Kenan Doganay. The 1.90-metre-tall defensive midfielder, who has Turkish roots, joins Leverkusen from the U19s at French top-flight club Olympique Lyon. He will initially train with and play for the U19 team.
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The Sports Tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has fined Bayer 04 Leverkusen €185,000 for spectators setting off pyrotechnic devices during a total of five competitive matches. This relates to four Bundesliga matches and the DFB Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich. The highest individual fine relates to the away match at FC Köln at the end of April.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 goalkeeper Simeon Rapsch. The Germany youth international goalkeeper has signed a long-term contract with the Werkself running to 30 June 2029. The 18-year-old joined Leverkusen from FC Viktoria Köln in the summer of 2024.
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