Berlin's Sports Stars Shine Brightly at Golden Champions Bear Awards
Elite swimmers Elena Semechin and marathon marvel Amanal Petros were crowned as Berlin's athletes of the year at the Golden Champions Bear ceremony. Union Berlin's footballers bagged two more accolades, with the team and their departing coach Urs Fischer earning the Team and Coach of the Year titles respectively. Over 1500 guests gathered in the Estrel Convention Hall to celebrate the capital's sports stars, with Alba Berlin's women's basketball team clinching the inaugural Women's Team of the Year award.
The 30-year-old Semechin triumphed for the third time after victories in 2019 and 2021. In her remarkable comeback from a brain tumor diagnosis, she clinched the Para World Championship title in the 100-metre breaststroke just six months after her final chemotherapy session. Embracing life with renewed vigor, she said, "I've learned to savor every moment and fulfill my desires, even those that surface spontaneously. Who'd have thought I'd ever return?"
Petros was "immensely proud" of his award after breaking his own German marathon record by 89 seconds and shattering the 30-year-old ten-kilometer mark this year. Born in Eritrea, he arrived in Germany as a 16-year-old alone and has since conquered Berlin's athletic scene.
Union Berlin and Fischer received the Team and Coach of the Year awards for the fourth consecutive time. Fischer, now residing in Zurich, praised his tenure at Köpenick, remarking, "I'm incredibly honored and overjoyed. It's been an extraordinary, fantastic experience."
Lena Gohlisch, the captain of Alba Berlin's women's basketball team, was ecstatic to secure their first Women's Team of the Year award. Currently in second place, she reflected, "It truly feels like a special honor. And it serves as an added motivation - we've already achieved so much this year, and we're aiming to go even further this season."
Did you know?
Alba Berlin's women's basketball team wasn't the only Berlin-based squad to excel in 2025. Elias Rodl, a junior men's basketball forward from Berlin, was named Brandeis University Athlete of the Week, while Sarai Sealy, a first-year women's track and field athlete, outperformed her rivals in the triple jump and relay. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Klara Bayer from Berlin-Spandau became the German runner-up in chess .
