Thomas Konietzko

Thomas Konietzko

Thomas Konietzko (born November 6, 1963 in Wolfen ) is a German entrepreneur, sports official and president of the German Canoe Association .

After studying at the institute for teacher training in Weißenfels , he worked as a full-time trainer for canoe racing in the junior division at KC Jeßnitz until 1990 . Among other things, he discovered the later Olympic champion Christian Gille . After the turn he made his own and founded a company for outdoor advertising , which he heads today. Konietzko is married and has one daughter.

His voluntary commitment to sport began in 2000 when he became President of the Bitterfeld District Sports Association. Since 2004 he has been a member of the Presidium of the State Canoeing Association of Saxony-Anhalt and has been the responsible Vice President for competitive sports since 2009. In the German Canoe Association, Konietzko has been 1st Chairman of the Canoe Youth and Vice President Youth of the general association since 2005. In 2008 he also became a member of the anti-doping working group.

In 2010 Konietzko replaced Olaf Heukrodt as President of the German Canoe Association.

In spring 2011 Konietzko was elected to the board of the European Canoe Federation (ECA).

In September 2012 Konietzko played a key role in applying for the 2013 Canoe Racing World Championships , which the Brazilian Canoe Association had to return at short notice due to a lack of funds. After a shortened bidding process, the award went to the German Canoe Association. Together with the head of the organizing committee Otto Schulte , the world championship was organized under Konietzko's leadership. In spring 2013 Konietzko was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Canoe Federation (ICF) as Continental Representative Europe. At the meeting of the Board of Directors of the ICF on March 29th and 30th, 2014, the development of the Olympic program was the main topic of discussion. A commission was formed under the leadership of Konietzko for the further development of the program in canoeing. On March 28, 2015 Konietzko was re-elected as a board member and thus also as a continental representative in the ICF board at the congress of the European Canoe Federation in Sofia . With the presentation of the Cross of Merit on the ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on November 11, 2016 from the hands of Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff , Konietzko received a special honor. He was honored, among other things, for his long-term commitment to sport in Saxony-Anhalt and for his commitment to national and international bodies of the canoe associations. On November 25, 2016 Konietzko was elected Vice-President at the Congress of the International Canoe Federation (ICF) in Baku. On April 1, 2017 Konietzko resigned at the Congress of the European Canoe Federation in Bucharest due to his new activities in the ICF and was made an honorary member of the association after only six years in office.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ DKV: Konietzko is elected to the Board of Directors of the ECA on March 29, 2011 (accessed on April 14, 2011)
2. ↑ DOSB: Konietzko takes over the management of the ICF Commission from April 9, 2014 (accessed November 24, 2014).
3. ↑ DKV: Konietzko as ECA board member and re-elected as continental representative in the ICF board on March 30, 2015 (accessed on April 14, 2015)