Exactly 120 years after the establishment of “Turn- und Spielverein der Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co.”, the first Bayer sports club in Germany, Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer AG, bid farewell to 32 athletes from Bayer sports clubs heading to the Summer Games in Paris. Among them are athletes from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, RTHC Bayer Leverkusen, and TSV Bayer Dormagen, including notable figures like Lea Meyer, European Athletics Vice Champion in the 3,000m steeplechase, and Markus Rehm, reigning Para World Champion and 2021 Paralympic winner in long jump, both from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
“With Bayer 04 securing the German Soccer Championship and the DFB Cup, 2024 is already a historic year for sports under the Bayer cross. On behalf of Team Bayer, I extend our heartfelt wishes for continued success in Paris. Your participation alone is a significant achievement. Beyond sporting triumphs, I hope you cherish unforgettable experiences,” said Bayer CEO Bill Anderson at the farewell event in Leverkusen.
Lea Meyer and Markus Rehm are integral members of a diverse #TeamBayer, representing five nations—Germany, Greece, Japan, Kenya, and Switzerland—with ambitions for Olympic and Paralympic medals in fencing, athletics, rowing, swimming, and sitting volleyball.
The focus initially turns to the Olympic Games (July 26th – August 11th), where alongside Lea Meyer (3,000m steeplechase), athletes like Sophie Weißenberg (heptathlon), Jennifer Montag (4x100m relay), Marike Steinacker (discus), Torben Blech (pole vault), and newcomer Max Dehning (javelin throw) will bolster TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s athletics squad. Alexandra Ndolo (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen – epee) and Matyas Szabo (TSV Bayer Dormagen – sabre) will represent Kenya and Germany in fencing, respectively, while Julius Christ from RTHC Bayer Leverkusen competes in rowing (pair).
From August 28th to September 8th, attention shifts to the Paralympic Games, where TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen boasts a significant presence in the German Para team. Key medal prospects include Markus Rehm (long jump), Léon Schäfer (long jump, 100m), and Johannes Floors (100m, 400m). Other team members like Noah Bodelier (long jump), Irmgard Bensusan (100m, 200m), Nele Moos (100m, 400m, long jump), Jule Roß (100m, 200m, 400m, long jump), Lise Petersen (javelin), Tomomi Tozawa (Japan – 100m, long jump), Stylianos Malakopoulos (Greece – long jump, 400m), and Elena Kratter (Switzerland – 100m, long jump) also hold promising prospects.
Swimmers Taliso Engel (50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley) and Maurice Wetekam (100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley, 400m freestyle) are set to compete, while the German national sitting volleyball team includes Jürgen Schrapp, Dominik Albrecht, Lukas Schiwy, Magnus Fischer, Stefan Hähnlein, Thomas Renger, and Mathis Tigler from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Marc Lembeck and Kathrin Marchand (Para 3 mixed foursome with coxswain) from RTHC Bayer Leverkusen have also secured their place at the Paralympics.
“Your dedication and determination exemplify what can be achieved. As athletes and role models, you embody values of fair play, teamwork, and diversity, not only in sports but also in society,” remarked Bill Anderson.
