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Top athlete Rebecca Langrehr leaves Germany: Escape from DVMF chaos!
Rebecca Langrehr, German pentathlete, is emigrating to the USA in 2025 while the DVMF remains in crisis management.
Top athlete Rebecca Langrehr leaves Germany: Escape from DVMF chaos!
Rebecca Langrehr, one of Germany's best modern pentathletes, has decided to emigrate to the USA. Your destination is Charlotte, North Carolina. This decision comes amid a chaotic environment in the German Association for Modern Pentathlon (DVMF), which is characterized by a power struggle and internal conflicts. Athletes have not been able to compete for months and funding has been frozen, leading to an existential crisis in the German pentathlon, as sportschau.de reports.
The problems in the DVMF are deep-rooted. At the end of 2024, the presidential election ended in a stalemate. The incumbent president Michael Dörr and his challenger Jan Veder both claim leadership of the association, which is leading to further tensions. Patrick Dogue, pentathlete and active spokesman, describes the situation as critical and emphasizes that it is about the survival of the association. RBB24 reports that Sporthilfe has stopped funding for athletes, which is making the situation even worse.
Langrehr's fight and the horse fall
Like many other athletes, Langrehr also suffers from the precarious situation. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, she experienced a traumatic event: before the competition, she fell on her horse, which led to the animal being withdrawn from the competition. Changing horses was no longer possible and Langrehr received zero points in riding, which put her in last place in the semi-finals. According to Fuldaer Zeitung, she cried during the competition and watched her teammate Annika Zillekens struggle with her own horse, Arezzo de Riverland.
The disappointment about missing out on medals was great. The German pentathletes missed the final again, similar to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Langrehr, who was already under pressure in Tokyo, planned to take part in the Olympic Games again in Los Angeles in 2028 despite these setbacks.
Causes and effects of chaos
The DVMF is mired in a deep power struggle, which has been exacerbated by the failed presidential election and the subsequent disputes over the legitimate leadership of the association. Barbara Oettinger was elected president by one of the warring sides, which led to another dispute. According to RBB24, communication between the two camps now takes place exclusively through lawyers. These discordant relationships have resulted in athletes being left without squad lists and nomination committees, making participation in competitions almost impossible.
Due to these difficult circumstances, Langrehr plans to apply for her U.S. citizenship soon to take advantage of better training conditions and the prospect of competing under the U.S. flag. She herself says that the quarrels and pressure of the last few months have significantly affected training and the enjoyment of sport.