Big pictures, big sport: Speed climber Leander Carmanns secured the championship title for the second time at the finals in Dresden – with a new German record.
The 20-year-old from DAV Rhineland Cologne defeated on Saturday (02.08.2025) in front of hundreds of enthusiastic spectators in the final Sebastian Lucke (Düsseldorf section) in 4.958 seconds and not only celebrated his second German championship title after the final victory of 2023, but also remained the first German speed climber under five seconds.
“I’m speechless. I have never had such a mood in a national competition. That inspired me in the end. It is indescribable“, the winner afterwards in the ARD interview according to words.
Spectacular backdrop in front of the Frauenkirche
Dresden has already offered the audience competitions against spectacular backdrops in the past few days. The picture on Saturday was again a very special one: Speed climbing before the most famous sight of the Saxon state capital and one of the most important buildings in the baroque: the Frauenkirche on Neumarkt.
It was only last year that the climbing discipline in Paris was also represented at the Olympic Games. In Dresden, the speed specialists had to master a 15-meter-high route consisting of standardized handle and tread sequences in direct duels as quickly as possible. The top favorite Carmanns succeeded best.
Bronze secured Dorian Zedler against the only 15 -year -old Nick Ressmann, who surprisingly climbed out defending champion Linus Bader (DAV Düsseldorf) in the quarterfinals after he slipped off the handle just before the final attack.
Carmanns is approaching the top of the world
Carmanns is the star in the German Speed climber scene and has recently approached the top of the world. It was only in June that the Mönchengladbacher had set a new German record in smooth five seconds at the World Cup in Denver. In Dresden he was already scraping the brand in advance. He then rose the crowning glory under thunderous applause for the final.
Incidentally, the world record is 4.79 seconds – set up by the American Samuel Watson, with which Carmanns trains in Salt Lake City.