Overview

• Helbig died in Halle an der Saale after a prolonged, severe illness, the German Handball Federation confirmed.
• Partnered with Lars Geipel, he officiated more than 600 DHB games and over 250 international matches from 1993 to 2021.
• Career highlights included the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, Champions League finals in 2017 and 2019 in Cologne, and major World and European Championship appointments.
• His serious illness began in early summer 2020 and led to the premature end of his active refereeing career in 2021.
• DHB president Andreas Michelmann, longtime partner Lars Geipel, and referee chief Jutta Ehrmann issued tributes, and he is survived by two sons and his life partner.