For decades Erfurt has been a centre for champions. Erfurt swimmers were the great sporting hit of the GDR, but Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann and Sabine Völker the speed-skaters together with Stefan Lindemann the figure skater, (all of whose names are closely connected with Erfurt), are the ones who are gaining great acclaim in sporting circles today.

In addition, athletics (Lauf Nils Schumann, Olympic 800m gold medallist), cycling (Daniel Becke, four-man cycle track gold medallist) and the triathlon (Kai Röckert, three-time Hawaii Ironman world champion) are among the state capital’s most
successful sports. Erfurt has also enjoyed success in sport for people with physical disabilities - its most prominent representative is the Paralympic gold medallist Andreas Müller (discus).

New sporting talent can take advantage of the best possible sporting conditions that are offered by Erfurt’s modern sporting facilities such as the Steigerwald Stadium, the athletics and ice-skating sports centre, the Olympic Support Centre, the state centres of excellence in athletics, cycling, swimming and skating as well as the Erfurt Sports Grammar School. Erfurt has been continuing to expand as a centre for skaters since the opening of the new Erfurt skating rink.

The Thuringian capital has also caught international attention as hosts to the European speed-skating and women’s football championships, the German national championships and the Erfurt Indoor Athletics Centre. The city of Erfurt is also well known by sports fans through the local football team Rot-Weiß Erfurt (Red and White) and as a cycling stage in the ‘Race for Peace’ and the "Tour of Germany".