Highlights of this year: This is what the Sport awaits

No Olympic and Paralympic Games, no big football tournament for men either, plus idols in well-deserved retirement: is sport threatened with a year of boredom?

Even if the larger events are missing, this is of course not the case.

2023 will again offer some sporting delicacies that will convince with spectacular pictures, emotional athletes and unique performances.

What a thrilling story it was: Germany's women's footballers sparked an unexpected enthusiasm with their playfully convincing run at the European Championship in England.

The coronation didn't happen, but the team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg ensured a significantly increased interest with record viewer numbers in the Bundesliga.

Women's Soccer World Cup

Alexandra Popp and her national team mates are already dreaming of the next summer fairy tale.

From July 20th, the World Cup will take place in Australia and New Zealand, with the Germans among the favourites.

"We want to play for the title on sight, that's very clear," Voss-Tecklenburg told the sports information service (sid).

"We will make every effort to stay in the tournament with attractive football for as long as possible."

The handball pros will deliver the first highlight in the coming year.

At the World Championships in Poland and Sweden from January 11th, the German team will probably not make the big hit, a medal would be a surprise.

At the end of the year, Germany's women's selection will also be fighting for a medal at the World Cup (November 30th to December 17th).

Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof

When the biathlon elite go hunting for medals at their World Championships in Oberhof, the cross-country ski run in the tranquil town of Thuringia will be festively decorated from February 8th to 19th.

After her gold coup in Beijing, Denise Herrmann-Wick is also aiming for a place on the podium at home, but the international competition is tough.

The German ice hockey professionals are also fighting for a World Cup medal, which would be tantamount to salvation.

Since second place in 1953, Germany has not finished in the top three at the annual World Championships, from May 12 the silver medalist from Pyeongchang in Tampere and Riga, Finland, will make another attempt.

However, without Toni Söderholm, who surprisingly exchanged his national coaching position for the coaching post at SC Bern.

Formula 1 has to do without a big personality.

The four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel resigned after last season, which means that only one regular cockpit in the premier class of motorsport is occupied by a German.

Nico Hülkenberg succeeded Mick Schumacher in the Haas team, who will be the reserve driver for Mercedes in the future.

The first race of the season will take place on March 5, 2023 in Bahrain.

After winning bronze at the European Championships at home, the basketball pros around captain Dennis Schröder will be competing at the world championships in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines (August 25 to September 10).

Around 7,000 participants from 170 nations come together in Berlin in the summer.

Why?

The capital will be the site of the Special Olympics World Games (June 17-25), the 16th Summer Games for people with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities.

In the meantime, the German sports elite will be meeting in Düsseldorf and Duisburg for the “The Finals” event (June 23 to 26).

The event promises to be special: in just three days, German championship titles will be awarded in 18 sports, including athletics, swimming, gymnastics and taekwondo.

Tennis at Wimbledon in July

With (possibly) one or more championship titles in his luggage, Florian Wellbrock sets off for distant Japan after the title fights in the Rhine-Ruhr area.

In Fukuoka, the Olympic champion will again be swimming for medals at the World Championships (July 14 to 30).

Before that, however, the sports world is looking to Wimbledon (July 3rd to 16th).

As in the previous year, Roger Federer will be missing on the green lawn on Church Road - this time for good.

Like Serena Williams, the Swiss ended his career, both went as icons of their sport.

Athletics World Championships in Budapest

Gina Lückenkemper's sprint to the gold medal was probably the highlight of the rushing European Championships in Munich.

Now the World Championships in Budapest (19th to 27th August) are coming up, but another title for the newly crowned athlete of the year is almost impossible in view of the competition from the USA or Jamaica.

At the last World Championships in Eugene, the German Athletics Association (DLV) team suffered a disgrace that was quickly forgotten thanks to the successful European Championships.

And then there is the third largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the men's soccer World Cup: the Rugby World Cup.

857 million people tuned in to the last edition in Japan in 2019, and similar numbers are expected for the tournament in France (September 8 to October 28) – the German selection, as usual, has not qualified for the Rugby World Cup.