Poomsae
2/24/2026
Silver and Strong Performances: Swiss Team Makes Its Mark at German Open Poomsae G1
On February 21, the Swiss Poomsae national team traveled to Wiesbaden, Germany, to compete at the German Open Poomsae 2026 — this year held for the first time as a G1 World Ranking event, attracting 545 entries from 27 nations. The elevated status made it one of the strongest poomsae competitions on the European calendar and an important early opportunity to collect World Championship qualification points.
Switzerland sent a strong delegation of 17 entries across Junior, U30, and U50 categories and came home with plenty to be proud of.
Junior Highlights
The standout result of the day came from William Helsen and Nayeli Hoener, who claimed a silver medal in the Junior Mixed Pair category, fighting their way through the field from the round of 16 all the way to the final. A remarkable achievement at G1 level. In the individual categories, William reached the semifinal in Junior Men (30 athletes), while both Nayeli and Leonie Probst competed strongly in the 41-athlete Junior Women field.
U30 — Depth Across the Board
In U30 Men Individual (43 athletes), Daniel Morath delivered a standout performance, winning through to the quarterfinals with victories in three consecutive rounds and finishing with a top-8 result. Mathieu Tanael and Tai Nguyen both gained valuable match experience in the same category.
On the women's side, Maria Chavanne and Alicia Winkenbach both reached the top 10 in a field of 67 — Maria seeded 17th and Alicia 20th, both winning multiple matches. Sarah Leuenberger added further depth to the Swiss women's results.
In the pair and team events, Daniel and Kyra placed 5th out of 24 in U30 Mixed Pair with wins in both early rounds. Liv and Mathieu as well as Alicia and Tai also competed in pairs. The women's team of Maria, Kyra, and Liv finished 5th out of 15 teams.
U50
Luis Angel Sanchez and Reto Bucher both represented Switzerland in the U50 Men Individual category (14 athletes), gaining experience at international G1 level.
Looking Ahead
"The German Open was a real step up for the whole team. Competing at G1 level against nearly 550 entries from 27 countries is a different intensity, and I'm proud of how our athletes handled that pressure. The silver medal from William and Nayeli in Junior Mixed Pair was a special highlight, but across the board the results show we're on the right track. The team spirit and attitude were exactly what we want to see heading into the rest of the season." — Maria Gilgen, National Poomsae Coach
With the German Open serving as the first major G1 poomsae event of the year, the Swiss team has set a strong foundation for the 2026 international season.
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