First place in the German rankings, 21st in the world rankings – Tim Krippendorf is one of the best archers in Germany AND is a business administration student at Hof University. Thus, the exceptional talent remains true to his home country.
The 22-year-old still lives in his home town of Döhlau (district of Hof). After graduating from the Realschule Rehau and the Fachabitur at the Fachoberschule (FOS) Hof, Krippendorf studied business informatics at the University of Applied Sciences Hof for four semesters before switching to business administration 1.5 years ago.
Krippendorf has been shooting for ATSV Oberkotzau for 10 years and has won numerous titles during that time: Multiple Bavarian champion, German runner-up in 2017, German champion in 2019 and ninth place at the World Championships in Yankton (USA) in 2021 – to name just a few successes. Recently, Krippendorf was at the German Championships in Berlin and managed to get fifth place there. Reason enough for “Campuls-digital” to take a closer look at the top athlete.
Mr. Krippendorf, you are one of the best German archers. How exactly did your sporting career begin, and why did you become an archer?
Ten years ago, I was looking for a new hobby. My uncle is the head of the archery department in Oberkotzau and my brother was also shooting at that time. At some point, the two of them persuaded me to try archery. At the beginning I didn’t have much fun with it, but with my first own bow it changed abruptly. From then on, I wanted to go to the practice range every day.
You have already taken part in numerous competitions. What were your greatest successes?
My biggest successes include my silver medal at the European Grand Prix in Antalya and the bronze medal in the mixed team at the European Championships. Also, my German record with 711 out of a possible 720 points. But I am especially proud that I won a starting place for Germany at this year’s World Games in Birmingham (USA).
Which competitions do you remember particularly fondly, or which was probably the most exciting, but also the most challenging?
I have particularly fond memories of the Grand Prix in Antalya 2021, as it was my first international competition in the men’s class. In addition, the competition was characterized by extremely strong gusts of wind and was therefore particularly demanding and exhausting.
Currently you are in the middle of the preparation for the new season. How often do you train during the week?
That depends on the situation: On weekends and during the vacations, I shoot for about 5-6 hours a day. When the lectures start again, I train as soon as the lectures are over – then in the hall and into the night.
When you’re a top athlete at your level, how do you balance college, sports and private life?
With the online studies in the last semesters, it was pretty easy, because I could attend my lectures from all over the world, so I didn’t miss anything. I still have to see how this can be reconciled in the next semesters. Normally, however, some of the competitions take place during the semester break – so I have to train in the evenings. But what definitely suffers is my private life or free time, since I train in almost every free minute.
Despite your successes, you still remain loyal to your home country. You were born in Döhlau (Hof district), shoot for ATSV Oberkotzau and study at Hof University. What is it about the region that makes it so special for you and why aren’t you drawn to the big wide world?
Mainly I stayed in the region, because I travel a lot anyway because of archery – in Germany as well as internationally. So it’s nice to be able to spend the time between university and sports at home. In addition, with ATSV Oberkotzau I have found a club that creates the optimal training conditions for me and supports me as much as possible.
You are currently in your third semester, so you still have a few semesters ahead of you. What do you want to do after that? What are your sporting and private goals for the future?
In my private life, of course, my first priority is to complete my studies well. From a sporting point of view, I want to keep getting better and better in order to climb up a few places in the world rankings and make a name for myself internationally.
I can’t say exactly what will happen after my studies. My dream would be of course to earn my living with archery. Whether that is possible, I will see.
What competitions are coming up soon and how are you preparing for them?
I just came from the German Championships in Berlin. Internally, there are now a few qualification tournaments to decide who gets to compete at the World Cups in Antalya, Gwangju (South Korea), Paris or at the European Championships in Munich and the World Games in Birmingham (USA). If I am successful there, I will be nominated for one or more international competitions
The preparation for the upcoming competitions mainly consists of shooting outside in all weather conditions to get used to the different conditions again (wind, cold, rain) and to develop competition strategies for them.
Surely there are students at Hof University who are interested in the sport of archery? Is there a possibility for them to have a trial training at the ATSV Oberkotzau?
Of course, just come by on Friday from 17:00 to 19:00. Address: Jean-Paul-Strasse 24, 95145 Oberkotzau. Interested parties can also contact the department head Stefan Kaufmann via Facebook (Bogenschützen Oberkotzau), or via the homepage https://atsv-oberkotzau.de/bogenschiessen/.
Thank you very much Mr. Krippendorf for the detailed interview and further much success, both in the sport and for your study.
