Güglingen, December 28, 2022 – The hep Sports Team again draws a very positive conclusion at the end of the 2022 season. Ronnie Schildknecht hep Sports Team Manager: “Watching the personal and athletic development of our athletes is a great pleasure as a team manager and sports fan. It is not only the great successes that are worth reporting. The mental strength of individuals to fight their way back up after setbacks deserves great respect, and so they all more than live up to their role as role models. In 2023, I look forward to seeing everyone competing again in the green hep colors and the gorilla George, which stands for togetherness, mutual respect and consideration.
The team became more diverse at the beginning of the year with the addition of Anabel Knoll, Ben Bettin and Katharina Möller to the High Potentials. During the year, Gustav Iden and Kenji Nener completed the team among the professionals. As hep is also active in Japan, the Japanese athlete Kenji represents the internationality of the company.
Start of the season
Since March the athletes of the team show strength, so Laura Philipp reached the first place at the Ironman 70.3 Dubai and Daniel and proved already at the start of the season that with them this year in the world top is to be counted on.
A new world best time was already set in the women’s category at the first big race of the season. Laura Philipp was able to confirm this result again at the Ironman Ham-burg at the Ironman European Championship in June over the double distance (8:18:20 hours).
The high potentials also stepped up their game in the months and Anabel Knoll finished third at the Super League Games Munich in April. Her Nuremberg training and team colleague Simon Henseleit finished first at the U23 European Championships in Olsztyn. After his success he won the sprint distance of the hep Triathlon Heilbronn in a training competition with a big lead and was available for the hep employees, who had also participated, for valuable tips as well as motivator.
Summer season
For hep the DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep was again a highlight as one of the main sponsors. On the lake stage, hep presented itself with its investment and solar park divisions to the many interested visitors of the event.
In the summer, our professional newcomers struck and in a race with top participation Gustav Iden was able to win the PTO race in Edmonton in the end. Kenji represented Japan at the Asia Triathlon Championships in Aktau, where he finished second. After a long injury Imogen Simmonds celebrated her successful comeback by winning the Ironman 70.3 in Gdynia. The hep Team SUN from Neckarsulm was able to work its way up continuously over the years to third place this year in the 1st Triathlon Bundesliga overall standings.
Ironman Hawaii
Five athletes from hep competed at the legendary Ironman Hawaii in October. Laura finished in an excellent fourth place in the women’s category after a five minute penalty on the bike course. Despite the handicap, she showed great mental strength and stamina to just fall short of the podium at the end of the day. Sebastian Kienle could shine as the best German in his last race on Big Is-land. He more than deserved his last start at the race of the long distance triathletes and was rewarded at the end. At the beginning of his professional career, he put forward as a double 70.3 World Champion and was able to become Ironman World Champion in 2014.
This year, his teammate Gustav followed suit and he beamed with happiness and exhaustion at the finish line as the new Ironman World Champion with the fastest time ever realized over the course.
Daniel, who did not do well in Hawaii, was the first of the team to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in November at Ironman Israel. For him and his teammates it will not go to Hawaii in 2023, but to an alternative location which is not yet announced. Alternating with the women, the men will not go to Hawaii again until 2024.
Season summary
We are already excited about the coming year. For the short distance athletes we are heading for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and we will accompany Sebi Kienle on his Fareweel Tour in his last professional season before he retires from triathlon the year after next.
Holistic approach of the hep Sports Team
hep takes a holistic approach to building and managing the Sports Team: in addition to financial support, the focus is on fostering athletic and human skills. “Triathlon is a matter of the heart for us,” explains CEO and company founder Christian Hamann. “We admire the endurance, versatility and success of the athletes and want to promote the sport in Germany, but also on an international level.”
About hep – driving the energy transition worldwide
Uniquely, the company performs all services over the life cycle of a photovoltaic system: Project development, construction, operation and financing. From the search for the “green field” to the long-term operation of a solar plant, hep offers all products and services necessary for a successful implementation in every phase of a solar project. At the same time, hep’s financial experts can design international investments with different maturities and risk-return profiles.
By specializing exclusively in solar plants and their financing, hep has developed a strong network of business partners in Germany, Japan, the USA and Canada and has a constantly growing pipeline. Laura Philipp and 2014 Ironman Hawaii world champion Sebi Kienle are already taking advantage of this opportunity.
