Deutschland, what an experience! Far beyond what I expected, given that I didn’t know what to expect upon landing in Germany. For starters, the whole country is seemingly spotless and everything is meticulously well-built. Then there’s the Autobahn—enough said.
Team Germany during introductions
The main reason for the trip was to attend the Pokal der Blauen Schwerter Meißen(Cup of the Blue Swords/Meissen Cup) with Everyday Lifters. It’s an invitational competition run in a points-scoring format so anyone from any weight class can be the victor. The meet showcased an impressive array of competitors and organizers. Over 30 athletes from 10 different countries competed. Many of them European champions, Worlds and Olympic competitors. Max Lang didn’t compete but was on hand, the legend, Marc Huster, provided commentary, and Ronny Weller was guest of honor. And that’s just to name these three. There were many other legends of German weightlifting present at the event.
The competition was awesome! So much great lifting AND I got the privilege to do commentary on the All Things Gym live stream. I can’t thank my commentary teammate, Sali Arian, enough for making that possible- we killed it! If you missed it, the live stream can be viewed below:
It was such a great experience, I’m looking forward (and hope) to be invited to next years event. I’ll be practicing my commentary and German-speaking skills in the interim.
A special thank you for the hospitality and being such gracious hosts and tour guides to Eric Schneidenbach, Max Lang, Sali Arian, Marie Dehorn, and Gregor Winter (die Apotheke).
NYWA and Max Lang!
If you’d like to see more photos from the event, check out Everyday Lifters recap of the 2018 Meissen Cup here!
And once again, thank you to the Dresdner Sportclub for the hospitality and allowing us to train before heading to the Meissen Cup.
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Daniel Casey
MS, USAW2, CSCS
Owner and Head Coach, NYWA
