Marina Ohlendorf wins European Championship gold with the German national deaf team

For Marina Ohlendorf, the 2026 European Deaf Bowling Championships in Bologna were a resounding success. The master precision engineer, who works in the shared workshop at the Lower Saxony Research Centre for Aviation (NFL) and is a member of the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery, represented the German Deaf Sports Association (DGSV) at the European Championships and returned home with a gold and a bronze medal. The DGSV represents top German deaf athletes at international competitions.

Marina Ohlendorf put in a strong performance in the singles event, securing the bronze medal. In both the doubles and the trio events, the German team narrowly missed out on a place in the final. In the doubles, they were just 19 pins short, whilst in the trio event, they were only 22 pins away from reaching the final.

The highlight of the European Championships came in the team event. With a solid team performance, the German women’s team won the gold medal and made history in the process: for the first time in 24 years, the European women’s team title went to Germany.

However, there is far more to this success than just training on the bowling alley. For many athletes in deaf sports, taking part in international championships involves a considerable amount of organisational effort. In addition to preparation, numerous bureaucratic requirements must be dealt with. Furthermore, competitions and training camps are often only possible by using one’s annual leave. This makes the commitment with which Marina Ohlendorf combines her career with top-level sport all the more remarkable.

Overall, the European Championships were also an immense success for the German team; with a total of 23 medals, the German delegation finished the European Championships as one of the most successful nations at the tournament.

With her outstanding sporting achievements, Marina Ohlendorf is an ambassador for German deaf sport and an example of how professional commitment and international elite sport can be successfully combined.

The team at the Gemeinschaftswerkstatt, the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery, and Technische Universität Braunschweig warmly congratulate Marina Ohlendorf on her magnificent achievements and wish her continued success in her sporting and professional future!