Elena Semechin and Taliso Engel won the election as a para athlete in 2024. The wheelchair basketball players were honored as the team of the year. The young price went to Gina Böttcher. The former wheelchair basketball coach Michael Engel was elected as a coach of the year when voting on the online vote of the German Disabled Sports Association.
The paras athletes of the year were awarded at the gala of the German Disabled Sports Association in the Telekom Forum in Bonn. In the online election, there was an increase in votes of over 75 percent compared to 2023. In addition, the evaluations of a nine-member expert commemorated the result in equal parts.
The parash swimmers and the wheelchair basketball players, who had a large proportion of the historically successful performance at the Paralympics 2024 in Paris, also cleared the election. The competition was great: all German Paralympics winners were available for the athletes.
“What we were able to experience in France’s capital a good seven months ago was a great festival of sport and much more than a late summer fairy tale. The city of love has overwhelmed us with emotions and gave the Paralympic movement a powerful thrust.said DBS President Friedhelm Julius Beucher: “Thanks to the games in Paris, the sport of people with disabilities took a big step towards the middle of society – and it just belongs.”
The victorious athletes at an overview
Para athlete of the year: Elena Semechin (swimming)
Elena Semechin prevailed with 27 percent of the vote before table tennis player Sandra Mikolaschek (20.6 percent) and sports shooter Natascha Hiltrop (17.9 percent). The Berliner is a two-time world champion, four-time European champion, multiple world record holder-and also Paralympic gold medal winner from Tokyo and Paris over 100 meters of chest. In between there was a brain tumor with operation – her comeback and the fight on the way back to old strength have inspired.
Para athletes of the year: Taliso Engel (swimming)
The fans of the dance show “Let’s Dance” now know him, but the Leverkusener is even more successful in the water: Taliso Engel inspired the audience with world record and gold at the Paralympics in Paris 2024: Only 1: 01.48 minutes took the visually impaired athlete for the 100 meter breast. The reward: the clear victory in the election as a para athlete of the year, with 39.4 percent of the votes cast. In second place, a swimmer is also followed with Josia pot (29.3 percent). Maurice Schmidt (18.9 percent) came in third place.
Para team of the year: wheelchair basketball men
The men’s German Colonel Basketball team had to wait 32 years for men for the men on the Paralympic precious metal. The waiting had come to an end in Paris: With a considerable team performance, the team around top scorer Thomas Böhme secured the bronze medal-and with 31.2 percent of the votes cast for the first time as a para team of the year.
The table tennis double Baus/Schmidberger (20.7 percent) landed in second place in the team classification. The dressage sport equipe became third (18.6 percent).
Para young athletes in the year: Gina Böttcher
The 24-year-old became three-time European champion last year, and only a few months later Edelmetall followed on the very big stage: Böttcher won the silver medal over 50 meters back in Paris. In the election, the swimmer from SC Potsdam prevailed very thinly with 26.9 percent in front of athlete Nele Moos (26.7 percent) of Bayer Leverkusen. Wheelchair fencing Maurice Schmidt (20.3 percent) ended up in third place.
Para trainer in the year: Michael Engel
Michael Engel, who led the German wheelchair basketball players to the bronze coup, was recognized as a para coach of the year. Engel had started the office in November 2023 to lead the German wheelchair basketball players to the Paralympics. Not only the qualification was achieved, but also the winning of a medal. After the games, Engel resigned as a national coach at his own request. Swimming trainer Ute Schinkitz (23.9 percent) and fencing coach Alexander Bondra (20.8 percent) landed behind the basketball coach (25.6 percent of the votes).