Paris Prepares to Roar with Paralympic Spirit, While German Hopefuls Face Controversy
Starting this week, the City of Lights transforms into a hub of athletic fever as the Paris Paralympics surge into action. Around 143 German competitors are set to grace the scene, all eyeing the chance to clinch a medal. As excitement buzzes amongst the beginners, a touch of frustration lurks beneath, as the anticipation of the grand event grows.
The absence of the silent shadow cast by the Corona pandemic in previous gatherings like Tokyo and Beijing gives way to a boisterous spectacle. The opening ceremony at Place de la Concorde is projected to attract an estimated 35,000 spectators, as well as an additional 15,000 visitors and packed crowds in the Stade de France and Bercy Arena.
Wheelchair basketball player Lukas Gloßner is one of the competitors eager to join the fray. The 24-year-old, with lofty expectations, is thrilled by the prospect of overwhelming fan support. "My folks will be one of the lucky ones in attendance, along with a cavalcade of friends who've confirmed their attendance. This whole experience, with all the pageantry and pomp, really feels epic," Gloßner explains with enthusiasm.
The cream of the German crop, consisting of 143 competitors, are striving for glory in 18 out of the 22 sports, with five guides to support them. Regrettably, there will be no German representatives in the sports of goalball, blind football, or taekwondo and weightlifting. Despite the strict qualification process for team sports and smaller participant numbers, the German team has managed to grow its size since the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
Hitting the top ten nations is the ultimate ambition for the German side. In Tokyo, Germany bagged a total of 43 medals, placing 12th overall. "We believe our athletes are poised to deliver their best, honed through years of rigorous training, in a fair contest against formidable international competitors," states Beucher.
Max Gelhaar, the triathlete primed for Paris, shares similar aspirations. With an impressive record of three bronze and one silver medal at World Championships under his belt, Gelhaar looks set to be a formidable contender. "The stellar showing so far this year has genuinely compelling me to seek a medal. If it should become golden, well, then I wouldn't complain," Gelhaar confesses with a chuckle.
Paralympian Martina Willing marks her 10th participation - a distinction cherished by the German delegation. She embarked on this journey in 1992, and in the process, has amassed three gold medals and even ventured into winter sports in 1994. Longtime dressage rider Heidemarie Dresing, at a ripe 69 years, steals the spotlight as the oldest German athlete, while 14-year-old swimmer Johanna Döhler shares the title of the youngest.
"We have a wonderful mix of seasoned veterans and young talents eager to prove themselves on the world stage," Chef de Mission Karl Quade explains. A total of 57 greenhorns will be representing their motherland.
Veteran Elena Semechin, a three-time gold medalist from the Tokyo Paralympics, is primed for a title defense, even after undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumor. "These difficult periods have only crystallized my resolve and bolstered my character. I must stress that cancer did not dictate the course of my life," shares the Berliner with defiance.
The Paris Games will see Semechin accompanied by her circle of support. "For the first time, friends, family, and partners will be in attendance, cheering me on – a truly exhilarating prospect," she exclaims in delight.
Russian athletes, shrouded in controversy, face a strained participation in these games. "They simply do not deserve a place here," Beucher declares firmly. "If the Paralympics and Olympics are meant to propagate messages of peace, then there's no room for an aggressor causing chaos and devastation in another country."
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has proposed a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from joining the opening ceremony and has forbidden their national anthem from being played in the event of a victory. However, the announcement met with disappointment from Beucher who belittled the decision as "a supposed compromise that isn't a compromise, but a smokescreen." The decision to allow partial participation has been met with criticism, with Beucher vowing to investigate the situation and call out any ties to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
As the focus shifts back to the German competitors, Lukas Gloßner, the wheelchair basketball player, emerges as one of the 143 German athletes eager for glory in 18 out of the 22 sports.
