Jacob Schopf is a German sprint canoeist. He is among the fastest in the world, having made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where he won a silver medal in the K2 1000m with veteran Max. He is a six-time world championship medallist, with four golds, one silver, and one bronze.
His journey began at the age of eight when he started sprint canoeing at the Köpenick Canoe Sports Club in Berlin. He discovered the sport through his school friend Claas, and his first coach, Philip, supported him. In 2011, he moved to Flatow Secondary School and joined the junior national team in 2015. At the Junior World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, he finished fourth in the K4 event. He won his first Junior World Championship title in 2016 in Minsk, securing gold in the K1. The following year, he defended his title and added another gold in the K4.
After two years with the junior team, he qualified for the senior national team in 2018. At the World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, he won his first senior world title in the K4. The next year, he partnered with Max in the K2, forming the "Generations Boat," and won their first World Championship title together in Szeged.
In January 2020, he joined the Canoe Club Potsdam, relocating from Berlin to train with a strong group. He secured his spot at the Tokyo Olympics in May 2021 with a victory at the World Cup in Szeged, where he and Max won silver.
He completed his Abitur at Flatow Secondary School in 2018 with an average grade of 2.0. Since September 2018, he has served as a sports soldier in the German Armed Forces, currently holding the rank of Staff Sergeant. He began studying Sport and Geography Education at Humboldt University in Berlin in 2018 and transferred to the University of Potsdam in 2020, where he continues to live and train.