At 60, the medical technician is the oldest athlete on the German team. Wedde was one of only four players who took part in the German ice hockey team’s last Paralympics participation 20 years ago in Turin. At the age of twelve he lost both legs in a train accident and subsequently searched in vain for a suitable opportunity in sports for the disabled. He only came to Para ice hockey at the age of 37 – and has now been a top performer for the German team for more than two decades. A medal in Milan would be an absolute sensation.
In Beijing, the 26-year-old surprised everyone with silver in the biathlon and cross-country sprint. In the years that followed, Maier showed that this was no coincidence with seven World Cup medals. Instead of being a dangerous outsider, this time he starts as one of the favorites in three biathlon races. His career was almost over before it really began. The Kirchzartener, who has been missing the front limbs of three fingers on his left hand since birth, was not classified for the 2016/17 season. Only after missing a winter did he get permission to start again and steadily worked his way up to the top in the world.
When she was just 15 years old, the star of the visually impaired student rose in Beijing. There were five medals in her five individual starts, and she even won gold in the cross-country middle distance. But difficult personal years followed; her father died of cancer. This stroke of fate took a toll on Kazmaier, and sport played a secondary role. The now 19-year-old is a long way from her form in Beijing and everything would have to be right for a medal. Added to this is the double burden: a few weeks after the Paralympics, the written Abitur exams are due.
