The Special Olympics National Games come to an end today with a celebration in Saarbrücken. Since Monday, around 4,300 athletes have competed in 27 sports.
A total of 2,000 medals will be awarded by the end of the games in the afternoon. The reason for this is the many different classes into which athletes are divided based on their performance.
By Friday evening, the Saarland athletes had won 87 medals, including 28 gold. By far the most medals were in the 100 meter run. But an above-average number of Saar athletes were also successful in the 25-meter freestyle swimming and ball throwing.
Around 110,000 visitors, participants and helpers
According to Special Olympics Germany, a total of around 110,000 people attended the games. During the week, competitions in 27 different sports were held throughout Saarland and neighboring France.
For the first time in the history of the national games, competitions were also held in sailing, hockey and rowing, among others.
Big final show in Saarbrücken
Final decisions still need to be made in dressage, swimming, athletics and hockey, among other things. As has been the case all week, spectators can watch the competitions for free.
The one-hour final show starts at 4 p.m. at Tbilisser Platz in Saarbrücken and the flame of the Special Olympics is extinguished.
The National Special Olympics are the largest sporting event in Germany for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities and take place every four years in the summer. For Saarland, it was generally the largest sporting event in the state’s history.
The SR info news reported on this topic on the radio on June 20, 2026.
More about the Special Olympics in Saarland
First published: June 20, 2026 | 11:24 am
