Rhine-Neckar Open: Svenja Heinrich and Constantin Kammerer impress!

Rhine-Neckar Open: Svenja Heinrich and Constantin Kammerer impress!

This year's Rhein-Neckar Open took place in Heidelberg on December 20th and 21st, 2025, a national ranking tournament of the German Fencing Association (DFB), which is considered one of the largest and strongest epee tournaments in Germany. After a break in 2024, the event returned this year as a U20 event, providing a stage for young talent to compete. The women's epee tournament has been an integral part of Heidelberg since 2008, while the men's competition has been held since 2016. Fencing in Heidelberg reports on this important event for the athletes.

Two young fencers from the region were particularly in the spotlight: Constantin Kammerer and Svenja Heinrich. U15 fighter Constantin Kammerer competed on the first day of the competition, but had to endure a difficult preliminary round. Out of a total of six fights he was only able to win one and thus took 125th place. Things went better for Svenja Heinrich, who got involved on the second day of the competition. Although she lost her first preliminary round fight, she then showed impressive fighting spirit and won the following duels.

Svenja Heinrich's impressive comeback

Svenja Heinrich came 12th in the direct elimination and had a bye out of 128 participants in the field. In a thrilling encounter in the 64 final she was able to win in sudden death, but had to admit defeat in the 32 duel. But that wasn't the end of her ambitions: in the repechage race she confirmed her outstanding form with two more victories and finished the tournament in a solid 14th place. With these performances, the talented fencer not only secured a place in the German rankings as 12th, but also qualified for the U20 World Cups in Udine and Cairo, like My News reports.

Outlook for the next challenges

There is great anticipation, especially for the next competition in Udine, where around 235 starters from all over the world are expected. However, participation in the World Cups in Cairo is a cause for concern, as the high costs for flights, accommodation and trainer financing are not yet covered. The fencing community now hopes to mobilize the necessary funds to enable Svenja and other athletes to successfully participate.

The Rhein-Neckar Open and the achievements of Kammerer and Heinrich impressively show how talented the young fencing scene in Germany is. The sport of fencing is enjoying growing popularity and not only promotes physical fitness, but also team spirit and competitiveness among young athletes. Information about other competitions and ranking lists can also be found on Fencing in Germany, where developments in fencing at national and international level can be followed.