Mono-skier Anna-Lena Forster (27) and Nordic athlete Marco Maier (22) are the disabled athletes of the year 2022.
Forster, who comes from Radolfzell, won two out of four German gold medals at the Paralympics in Beijing in March and finished second again. The Kirchzartener Maier surprisingly won silver in biathlon and cross-country skiing at his Paralympics premiere.
Kazmaier won five medals in China
The young talent prize went to his teammate Linn Kazmaier (Römerstein), who had won five medals in China at the age of 15, including one gold. She came second in the Sportswoman of the Year poll. Team of the year was the rowers’ mixed four, consisting of Jan Helmich (Dortmund), Susanne Lackner (Mannheim), Marc Lembeck, Kathrin Marchand (both Leverkusen) and Inga Thöne (Ulm) as helmswoman.
Request to ARD and ZDF
The results of a nine-strong group of experts and an online vote flowed into the election. National swimming coach Ute Schinkitz became coach of the year, the DBS honorary award went to ARD and ZDF for reporting on the games in Tokyo 2021.
DBS President Friedhelm Julius Beucher then gave the public broadcasters an order. “Para-Sport is an invaluable added value for our society”said Beucher, “That’s why I say with conviction: We are worth seeing! And the Paralympics belong in prime time – already in Paris 2024!”