Bad Nenndorf/Riesa. On Saturday (29.6.), the starting signal was given for the Junior European Championships in lifesaving in Germany. The German Life Saving Association (DLRG) welcomed twelve nations with around 100 young athletes in the indoor pool of Riesa as hosts.

After the opening ceremony, ten participating nations took on their first major competition Simulated Rescue Exercise. In this discipline, rescue athletes deal with various emergency situation where people in and around the water need to be rescued and cared for. The challenge: The teams only find out the initial scenario once they enter the water.

Italians with a strong start

Defending champions Italy showed on the first day of competition that they want to build on their success from 2023. With 375 points, they took the lead in the Simulated Rescue Exercise, closely followed by Poland (370) and the Netherlands (352). The DLRG Juniors placed sixth with 302 points.

Over the next two days, more individual and relay disciplines in the pool await, where nations continue to gather important points. After a day's break, the athletes will continue the competition in open water. On July 3, the young lifesavers will head to Mücheln at Lake Geiseltal. On Thursday afternoon, it will be determined from which nation the best young rescuers in Europe 2024 come.

More information on the Junior European Championships in lifesaving and a livestream to follow can be found at dlrg.de/jem. Printable images from the competition can be found in the DLRG Media Portal.

About lifesaving sport

Lifesaving sport is the competitive variant of lifesaving. It originated from the idea of attracting people to water rescue services. Because good lifesavers are also good lifeguards. In case of emergency, the sport can help save lives. Strength, conditioning, speed, and mastery of rescue equipment are prerequisites for being competitive in the competition. In the DLRG, tens of thousands of people actively participate in lifesaving sport, from local clubs to international competitions.

Press contact: Niklas Lübkemann, Email: presse@dlrg.de