The Para Athletics World Championships opened in Paris on July 8th. The German team is going into the race with great chances of winning a medal. In addition to the veterans like Markus Rehm, there are some exciting German newcomers. The most important questions about the event, which will last until July 17th.
What does the German team look like?
Led by long jumper and gold favorite Markus Rehm (34), the German track and field athletes go to Paris. The team of the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) consists of 29 athletes and two guides.
How are the Germans medal chances?
National coach Marion Peters does not want to give a medal forecast for the first World Cup after a four-year break due to the corona crisis, but is optimistic a year before the Paralympics. “We are all ready and looking forward to getting started“Said Peters. Rehm, five-time world champion, is once again a favorite for gold. It wasn’t until the end of June that the man from Leverkusen improved his world record to 8.72 meters.
Who are the most famous German starters?
Long jumper Markus Rehm, who has always won para competitions in his long career, has a subscription to the role of favourite. Felix Streng stayed over 100 meters twice with too much tailwind only a hundredth of a second above the 100-meter world record and Johannes Floors also indicated on his parade distance over 400 meters in Rhede that his world record of 45.78 seconds in Paris could shake if everything fits together.
How did the last World Cup go?
Most recently in Dubai 2019, the German team had won seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Irmgard Bensusan and Johannes Floors each sprinted to double gold on the tartan track, Markus Rehm and Léon Schäfer jumped to the world championship title in the sand pit and Birgit Kober won the shot put.
Is there a German “insider tip”?
Above all, the short shot putter Yannis Fischer, who, as the 2021 European Championship bronze medalist, is in second place in the world rankings in the F40 class, can be expected to do quite a bit. His training colleague Niko Kappel symbolizes the strong form development in the German team. After the 2016 Paralympic winner and 2017 world champion hadn’t got going for a long time this season, the ball recently flew 14.84 meters at the International German Championships in Singen – his third longest shot ever, just 15 centimeters below his world record from last year .
How important is the World Cup for the 2024 Paralympics?
The organizing committee received 1,287 entries from over 100 nations – everyone wants to be there at the highlight a year before the Paralympics in the same city. The fact that the games do not take place in the Stade Charléty, which is known from Grand Prix events, like the World Cup, but in the large Stade de France, plays a subordinate role. Even so, the Paralympics are already casting their shadows. A place in the top four guarantees a so-called slot for the German national team, i.e. a starting place for 2024.