German Champion in the 200 meters: TUM student Svenja Pfetsch sprints to gold in Dortmund

Top-level sport and science at the highest level: Svenja Pfetsch, a master's student in Health Science at the Technical University of Munich, is the new German Indoor Champion in the 200 meters. The student in the Department combines her studies with competitive sport – and, since October 2023, also with a position as a Student Assistant in the Associate Professorship of of Exercise, Nutrition and Health held by Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler.

She already completed her bachelor's degree in Sports Science at TUM and is currently in her first semester of the master's program in Health Science. The scientific perspective on training management, regeneration, and performance development is just as much a part of her life as daily training on the athletics track.

“The combination of studying, competitive sports, and my work at the Professorship requires very good time management,” says Pfetsch. "It helps me a lot that the work here can be organized flexibly. When major competitions are coming up, I can adjust my hours as a Student Assistant accordingly or make up for them during the semester break. Training camps or more intensive competition phases can also be organized well this way.“ At the same time, a lot of personal responsibility is required. ”I don't have national team status, so there are fewer formal support structures from the University. This makes it all the more important to plan in a structured way. However, I receive a lot of support and understanding from the Professorship – especially from Prof. Köhler."

Prof. Köhler emphasizes this special dual role: “Svenja Pfetsch impresses not only with her athletic achievements, but also with her scientific approach. She works in a very structured, reflective, and reliable manner. The fact that she combines her studies, research activities, and top-level athletics at this level deserves the utmost respect.”

Surprise victory with personal best

Pfetsch achieved her greatest individual success to date at the German Indoor Championships in Dortmund. She won the 200-meter final in 23.52 seconds – significantly improving on her previous indoor best of 23.67 seconds.

“The title came as a big surprise to me,” she says in retrospect. “I arrived in fourth place on the entry list. Of course, you hope for a medal, but I really didn't expect to win.”

It was already clear the day before that she was in top form: she ran two personal bests in the 60 meters. "I knew then that I was in good shape and that the 23.67 seconds from this winter didn't have to be the end. Nevertheless, the competition was extremely strong – especially with Jessica-Bianca Wessolly, who has international experience and has already run very fast this year. That's why I tried not to fixate on times or rankings, but to stay focused on my own race and not put any additional pressure on myself."

This focus paid off. Pfetsch narrowly beat defending champion Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (23.60 seconds). Bronze went to Daria Peter (23.77 seconds). Her new personal indoor best time is particularly significant for her: "I've been faster outdoors, but you can't directly compare indoor and outdoor conditions. That's why I'm particularly happy with this time under indoor conditions. “

Looking ahead to the summer season and international goals

Looking ahead to the outdoor season, Pfetsch has set herself some ambitious but realistic goals: ”Running under 23 seconds outdoors is definitely within my reach." To qualify for the national team this year, she would need to run 200 meters in 22.85 seconds – a clear performance goal that would open up additional opportunities.

The next stops are already defined: the German Championships in Bochum in the summer, where she wants to compete for medals again in the 200 meters and the relay, and the European Championships in Birmingham at the beginning of August. “I'm excited to see what the season has in store. The winter was definitely an important step.”

Science and competitive sports as mutual inspiration

For TUM, Svenja Pfetsch exemplifies the connection between academic education and top athletic performance. Her studies in health science and her work at the Professorship enable her to engage in scientific research on training and nutrition strategies, regeneration processes, and performance diagnostics. At the same time, her practical experience in high-performance sports flows directly into her scientific work.

The German championship title in the 200 meters is therefore not only a personal triumph, but also a visible sign of how closely science and competitive sports can be intertwined at TUM.

To the homepage of the Associate Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler
Associate Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 München 

phone: 089 289 24488
e-mail: karsten.koehler(at)tum.de

Text: Dr. Romy Schwaiger
Photos: David Arvando / fotojhoffmann / Andreas Heddergott, TUM