The Special Olympics are the world’s largest sports movement for people with intellectual disabilities. For a week, more than 1,500 athletes competed against each other in Turin.
The World Winter Games in Turin have been the sports event for people with mental and multiple impairment in the past few weeks. On Saturday evening the games end with a colorful graduation ceremony. A great week is behind the athletes: joy about medals combined with a feeling of the mit instead of against each other. A total of more than 1,500 athletes from 102 different countries were there in eight different winter sports. 356 German athletes were also at the start.
German team with a positive conclusion
Turin’s balance sheet is more than positive for the German team. “We have been waiting for seven years that world winter games will finally take place and I think that the German athletes were outstanding ambassadors from our country,” says Sven Albrecht, Federal Managing Director Special Olympics Germany. “We are completely satisfied with the German team and the world games here.”
The next special Olympics World Summer Games will take place in Santiago in Chilean in 2027. It is the first time in the 55-year history that World Games will be held in southern hemisphere.
Info World Winter Games Turin
- 48 athletes represented Germany at the winter games in Turin
- They entered figure skating, floorball, skiing alpine, cross -country skiing, snow shoe, short track, snowboard and dance
- The team Special Olympics Germany (TeamSOD) was accompanied by 25 coaches and 11 other delegation members
- In addition to Turin, the competitions also took place in the ski areas of Sestriere, Pragelato and Bardonecchia
Alpine driver Reka Schatz: Fourth and happy
At this year’s winter games, some were able to prove the Baden-Württemberg starterlike Reka Schatz from Kornwestheim. Her passion is skiing alpine, more precisely the slalom. The 23 -year -old trained hard for the games and was satisfied with her race on the final day – despite difficult weather conditions. “In the beginning I was already panicking and fear because of this fog,” she says. At the beginning she could have seen the goals well and could have talked to someone. “I just drove to just take all the goals. I managed that too,” she summarizes her racing experience.
She just missed a medal, but the jubilation of fourth place is still great. Just like the enthusiasm among the many other athletes: about personal top performance, new friendships and many shared experiences.
