From the BZ editorial team
A great sporting event is history. 330,000 spectators saw the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin! That’s a record!
Politicians and organizers have drawn a positive conclusion for the Special Olympics World Games. “We have to take the momentum, joy and feasibility with us and ask ourselves how we can contribute to becoming more inclusive,” said Juliane Seifert, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland, who spoke of a “double boom for inclusion”. . Over 330,000 visitors came to the 26 sports over the eight days of the World Games for the mentally and multiply handicapped.
The closing ceremony at the Brandenburg Gate Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jean Marc Wiesner
The games ended on Saturday the way they started a week ago: Emotional! Athletes and spectators had come to the Brandenburg Gate long before the official start of the closing ceremony. Smiling faces everywhere.
“The most important message is that we have offered the athletes a stage that Special Olympics has not previously had,” said Sven Albrecht, head of Special Olympics Germany and the organization of the World Games for the mentally and multiply disabled, which took place on Sunday after eight days came to an end.
The games will take place in Perth, Australia, in four years’ time, with the Winter Games taking place in Turin and Piedmont two years earlier.
Cheers also at the parade of the 176 delegations, dancing together to the official games song “Are you Ready”! Finally, the ceremonial handover of the Special Olympics flag to Turin, the host of the 2025 Winter World Games. Bye, Special Olympics!