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Aline is the first name of the German female freestyle wrestling champion currently in full flight.
The name in German and Latin means noble.
In Germany, nobility and titles pertaining to it were recognized or bestowed upon individuals by emperors, kings and a few rulers of lesser rank, and were then inherited by the legitimate, male-line descendants of the ennobled person. Most German titles of nobility were also inherited by all male-line descendants.
As usual when it comes to Aline Focken (Jibs), in her noble wrestling pursuit, she is comfortable pushing limits; stretching boundaries and going where virtually none have gone before.
If you have not heard of Aline, it’s time you did.
The great information source Wikipedia shares, Aline Focken (born 10 May 1991) is a German freestyle wrestler. She won the world title in the 69 kg division in 2014 and a bronze medal in the 67 kg category at the 2013 European Championships. She started wrestling in 1996 under the guidance of her father, Hans-Georg Focken.
As reported on September 14, 2014 by faz.net, “Aline Jibs has taken on Wednesday at the Ringer’s World Cup in Tashkent gold and thus celebrated the biggest success of her career. The 23-year-old from Krefeld sat down against the Japanese Sara Dosho in the category up to 69 kg at the decisive duel with 5: 3 by. “What can I say, I have to process only once and can put the whole thing”, Jibs said after the fight – still completely overwhelmed by the feelings.
Jibs had indicated her strong form with the victory already in preparation at the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden. The Fifth World Cup and European Championship bronze medalist from last year had on Wednesday in the second round, the Kazakh Elmira Syzdykowa with 8: 5 defeated the Mexican Diana Gonzales shouldered in the quarterfinals and the semifinals in Lettin Laura Skujina with 3: 1 defeat.
The success even becomes even more important, because Jibs fought for the first time in title fights in the limit to 69 kilograms. “There is currently very difficult, because many wrestlers work off of the 72 kilo class, the stronger the current performance is to be evaluated,” said Loes (her coach).
Jibs had to deal with a crisis after highly successful years in the Junior Women and the European title in 2010 and came first in the women not so clear. Then she switched from the ’63 to the ’67 class and after the reorganization it went again a few pounds high. This decision was worth gold.”
Her dynamic website aline-frocken.de shows her steady rise to success and championships won.
In the German Championships she won 1st place 2007 juniors, 2008 juniors, 2009 seniors, 2011 seniors, 2012 seniors, 2013 seniors, 2014 seniors, 3rd 2010 seniors.
In the European Championships 1st place 2010 juniors, 2nd place 2007 cadet, 3rd Place 2007 cadet, 2008 cadet, 2009 cadet, 2013 seniors.
In the World Championships 1st place 2014, 2nd place in 2011 juniors, 3rd place in 2010 juniors.
Her Home Coach is her father Hans-Georg Jibs; her State Union Coach, Patrick Loes and her Federal Coach is Jorg Helmdach.
Noble champions have powerful mottos and for Aline it is, “I’ve never gone back a step, at most to take-up,” “True strength is not growing out of physical force rather from indomitable will!”
Aline was born in Krefeld, Germany.
As is our custom, Female Competition International enjoys traveling with our readers around the globe to help them enjoy and understand the different villages that have contributed to the success of the female champions of our great sport.
The adventurous site germany.travel educates, “Krefeld, the center of Germany’s textile trade, is three towns in one: neo-classical Krefeld, baroque Uerdingen and the small medieval castle town of Linn. Though the different influences are still easily identifiable, these places have grown together over time to form one city – a city characterized by fine traditions combined with a cheerful demeanor and a refined lifestyle.
The city of silk and velvet: in the 18th century Krefeld was made famous by its textile industry, supplying velvet, silk and brocade to a great many countries. Sumptuous fabrics from Krefeld were the natural choice for emperors, kings and church rulers.
The expansive information source Wikipedia adds more detail. “Krefeld, also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its center lying just a few kilometers to the west of the River Rhine.
Krefeld is also called the Velvet and Silk City.
The town originated in Roman times when the legions founded the military camp of Gelduba (today the borough of Gellep). Records first mention Krefeld itself in 1105 under the name of Krinvelde. Uerdingen, originally an independent town east of Krefeld, founded in 1255, became in medieval times larger and more important than Krefeld.”
One of the most profound movies that spoke to the infamous 30 year German war (1618-1648) is titled The Last Valley, led by the masterful actor Michael Caine. If you dare to watch it, you’ll feel the effects of the war’s devastation without one word of wasted dialogue.
Why bring this up?
Krefeld was one of the very, very few German cities that survived that war virtually untouched.
The long respected information source britannica.com supplies the finishing touches. “Krefeld is a rail hub. Steel, machinery, clothing (especially neckties), and chemicals are also manufactured. The city’s cultural institutions include the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Museum, the Museum Burg Linn (a restored castle), a textile museum, and the Museum Haus Lange (modern art).”
When you take a peek into Ms. Focken’s life, one of the many things that stands out is that it appears to be a life in balance. She has strong family ties, a community of friends, a country that supports her, fame and more.
She also has fun from time to time. Her hobbies include eating good food, dancing, snowboarding, reading, spending time with family & friends.
As a consultant and management educator, Gary Hamel has worked for companies as diverse as General Electric, Time Warner, Nestle, Shell, Best Buy, Procter & Gamble, 3M, IBM, and Microsoft. His pioneering concepts such as “strategic intent,” “core competence,” “industry revolution,” and “management innovation” have changed the practice of management in companies around the world.
Mr. Hamel stated, “A noble purpose inspires sacrifice, stimulates innovation and encourages perseverance.
Now that many of us have had a chance to appreciate the accomplishments of Germany’s Aline Focken, it’s encouraging to know that when young women follow a sound, respectable plan to participate in women’s wrestling, contrary to what some might feel, it’s a noble cause worth pursuing.
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