The athletes had to wait two years to be able to stand on this great international and traditional stage again. Due to the developments of the Corona pandemic, the Meissen Cup, which owes its name to the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Now, however, the tournament will take place again next Saturday, October 1, and will then also make up for its 50th anniversary, which should actually have been celebrated last year.
The Meissen Cup was launched in 1971 and quickly gained international fame. The competition is held in the traditional cup mode, i.e. according to the Robi-Points ranking (relative ranking to the existing world record in the respective limit). In this way, everyone fights against everyone else and the performances of men and women, light and heavy, can be compared with each other. This year, the winner of the cup will receive a bonus of 1500 euros and, of course, the infamous porcelain cup.
Hennig: “Much invested and prepared”.
And the anticipation for the coming Saturday is great. For two years, the organization team around Michael Hennig worked for the trash and put a lot of heart and soul into the organization of the cup for nothing. “We have invested and prepared a lot again this year. An uncertainty still remained because of the Corona pandemic and we had to cope with some cancellations of male and female athletes. Nevertheless, we are very satisfied with this year’s field of participants and hope that the competition will run smoothly,” says Hennig.
Around 40 male and female lifters will give their best on the platform on Saturday, including more women than men for the first time. Twelve countries will be represented at the 50th anniversary of the cup, including the British European champion Emily Campbell as well as the reigning European champion in the clean and jerk (-59 kg) Ine Andersson from Norway. Weightlifting Shop athlete Scheila Meister, who is participating in this cup for the first time, will also be making her way to Meissen. “I am really looking forward to this competition. I already had a small competition last weekend in Switzerland, but I saved my energy for Saturday and want to lift heavier again there. I’m really looking forward to meeting and getting to know other athletes from all over Europe and having some competition on stage,” Meister said.
Many athletes from all over Europe but also some Germans will be participating this year. Nico Müller, Nina Schroth, Sabine Kusterer and Antonia Ackermann, as well as Weightlifting Shop athlete Max Lang will be demonstrating their skills on the platform. The 29-year-old Lang has already been able to receive the unique trophy made of Meissen porcelain three times: in 2012, 2013 and 2017. “For me it is always something special to lift in Meissen. The atmosphere is always great and gives me an extra kick. It’s just huge fun to lift on this stage,” says the Mutterstadt athlete.
Like some of the other lifters, Lang is currently preparing for the World Championships in Colombia and therefore has difficulty assessing what will be possible on Saturday. “My preparation for the World Championships is going according to plan, currently I am even a little further along. However, Meissen will be the first performance test, yet I want to present myself as good as possible there.” For the slightly younger athletes, meanwhile, the Meissen Cup will be the dress rehearsal for the Junior and U23 European Championships, which will be held in Albania from October 13 to 25.
Public viewing and fan articles
The anticipation for Saturday is great and both the athletes and the spectators can look forward to an exciting and atmospheric competition including a supporting program. There will be a marquee in front of the small hall in Meißen. Public viewing and a give away will be offered. And of course, the most popular fan article of the Meissen Cup will not be missing – the cup towel in sunny yellow or blue, which has been around since the 1970s, will of course be available for purchase again on Saturday.
