Bayer's accomplished athletes have secured over 160 Olympic and Paralympic gold medals
Strong emotions, exuberant cheers, tears of joy – lead to unforgettable sporting moments.
The success story of Bayer’s athletes began in Tokyo back in 1964 with Willi Holdorf’s Olympic victory in the decathlon.
Since then, Bayer Sport has seen a succession of triumphs. Several of these achievements have etched themselves into the collective consciousness of Germany, standing as special moments in the nation's sporting history.
Among these milestones are the accomplishments of five Bayer athletes who have earned their place in Hall of Fame for German sport.
Heide Ecker-Rosendahl’s gold medal-winning jump at the Olympic Games 1972 in Munich.
Heike Henkel - European champion (1990), World champion (1991) and Olympic champion (1992) in the high jump.
Willi Holdorf - First German decathlon Olympic champion (1964).
Ulrike Nasse-Meyfahrt - Olympic champion in 1972 and 1984 in the high jump.
Arnd Schmitt - Olympic champion in fencing in 1988 and 1992.
In recent years, Bayer athletes have won over 95 Paralympic and 70 Olympic medals. The diversity of Bayer's sports clubs is also reflected in the different personalities and successes of the athletes.
Among Bayer's successful athletes is 2022 European champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen, as well as two Olympic participants for Paris 2024: Marike Steinacker, who placed 4th in the discus throw, and talented heptathlete Sophie Weißenberg. Two remarkable athletes also stand out in fencing: épée fencer Alexandra Ndolo, who was the first athlete to compete for the Kenyan Fencing Association at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, and sabre fencer Matyas Szabo.
Konstanze Klosterhalfen– European champion over 5.000m (2022) in Munich.
Heptathlete Sophie Weißenberg at the 2023 World Championships.
Alexandra Ndolo - Vice World Champion (2022) in epee fencing.
Matyas Szabo (left) and Bendeikt Wagner (right) - European champion (2019) in saber fencing.
Our successful para-athletes have also built on the achievements from the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where Irmgard Bensusan, Markus Rehm, Johannes Floors, and Leon Schäfer each won world championship titles. At the Paralympic Games in Paris, the team from Leverkusen secured impressive six medals. The participants included Tokyo 2021 Paralympic champion Johannes Floors and multiple Paralympic winner Markus Rehm. In the para long jump, young athlete Nele Moos stood out by winning her first Paralympic silver medal and competed in Paris alongside her training colleagues Leon Schäfer and the runner Irmgard Bensusan.
In swimming, Taliso Engel, who drew attention with his second Paralympic victory, and Maurice Wetekam, who won his first Paralympic bronze medal, demonstrated that Bayer athletes are among the best.
Nele Moos (bronze), Johannes Floors (gold) and Irmgard Bensusan (gold) at the 2023 Para World Championships in Paris (from left).
Markus Rehm - multiple Paralympics winner in the long jump.
The vice Paralympic champion Leon Schäfer in long jump.
Members of the TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sitting volleyball national team.
Kathrin Marchand and Marc Lembeck – silver medal at the European Championships 2023 in para-rowing.
Taliso Engel - world record holder in the 100m para breaststroke.
The record of Bayer athletes in Paris is impressive: six medals and numerous personal and sporting successes that strikingly highlight the exceptional performances and commitment of our athletes.
