SIt’s been eighteen days since the Olympic flames went out in Tokyo. On Tuesday, the Paralympics begin in Japan’s capital under the eyes of Emperor Naruhito. The 61-year-old monarch had already declared the Olympic Games to be open and is the patron of the Paralympics.
Wheelchair basketball player Mareike Miller and cyclist Michael Teuber will be given a special honor: They will carry the German flag into the stadium at the opening ceremony (1 p.m. CET / ARD). Miller (31), captain of her team and general activist, won gold in 2012 and silver in 2016. The 53-year-old Teuber has won gold five times in his five Paralympics participations, most recently in Rio in 2016.
There, Germany finished sixth in the medal table with 18 wins, 25 silver and 14 bronze medals. In Tokyo, long jumper Markus Rehm is now hoping not only for gold, but also for a social effect. “It’s also about leaving something behind,” says the 33-year-old: “In Japan, sitting in a wheelchair or having a prosthesis is still considered weak and negative.”
Paralympics 2021: who, what and how long?
A total of twelve days of competition are on the program until the Paralympics end with the closing ceremony on September 5th. An estimated 4400 athletes from 161 nations will start and fight for the podium in 539 medal events. That is 200 decisions more than at the Olympic Games.
How is the corona situation in Tokyo?
During the Olympic Games from July 23rd to August 8th, the Olympic bubble is said to have not posed any danger. The numbers there were very small, and the tests were tightly meshed. The situation is different in Japan’s population. The number of new infections in Tokyo has tripled since the end of the Games. The health authorities are on the attack, it is said. Governors have already called for curfews. The infection situation has worsened significantly and is alarming. This increases the risk posed by Paralympics employees who live in Japan, says Hidemasa Nakamura from the organizing committee. A tightening of the measures such as more corona tests for employees who are in close contact with the athletes is currently being examined.
What influence does Corona have?
Some National Olympic Committees – including Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga – had to cancel their participation due to the pandemic. The same measures apply to the Paralympics as to the Olympic Games, however, according to Nakamura, in the case of the parathletes, due to their different health conditions, it is important to be “flexible”. Some athletes are unable to wear masks, plastic visors are provided for them.
The conditions have been improved if an athlete has to be quarantined after a positive test. At the Olympics, professional cyclist Simon Geschke complained about the accommodation conditions in the quarantine hotels.
Are spectators allowed at the Paralympics?
Yes and no. Originally there were 3.1 million ticket requests for the Paralympics. Now – as with the Olympics before – no spectators are allowed. However, with one exception: children are allowed in the stadiums. As part of a government education program, pupils are allowed to watch the competitions if the local authorities so wish in consultation with their parents. Several municipalities and municipal schools are said to have expressed this wish, so that 130,000 students are expected.
The symbol of the Paralympics shines in front of the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo
Source: AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU
It is different for the children to watch the impressive performances of parathletes in the stadium instead of on television, said Nakamura. These experiences would stay in the “hearts of the children” for a long time to come. In contrast to normal viewers who have come from different regions, school classes can be checked and their safety can be ensured.
What does the German team look like?
134 athletes and three guides are at the start for Germany. Friedhelm Julius Beucher, President of the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS), said before leaving that he was flying “with the clear conscience that we have done everything we could do. We have a vaccination rate of over 97 percent. That makes me proud and shows that we know how serious the situation is ”. Nevertheless, the athletes are “so hot. I haven’t met a single person who gets in with a dull feeling. They count the minutes and hours until it starts ”.
German athletes will compete in 18 of the 22 sports, only not in blind football, weightlifting, taekwondo and wheelchair rugby. The youngest of the team is the 16-year-old athlete Lise Petersen, the oldest dressage rider Heidemarie Dresing at 66 – and yet it is her Paralympics debut. Afghanistan veteran Tim Focken (36), the first Bundeswehr soldier to be injured in action at the Paralympics, will also make his debut. The most experienced athlete, on the other hand, is the javelin thrower Martina Willing (61), who qualified for the Paralympics for the eighth time. The average age of the team is 33 years.
Who are the German gold candidates?
One of the stars of para-sport worldwide is the German long jumper Markus Rehm (33), who caused a sensation in June with his world record of 8.62 meters. Rehm, who lost his right leg below the knee in a wakeboard accident at the age of 14, jumps with a prosthesis. The short Rio winner Niko Kappel (26) in the shot put is one of the well-known names and favorites from Germany.
Niko Kappel is one of the most famous faces of German para-sport and wants to win gold again in Tokyo
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
But there are many other (co-) favorites: After three silver medals in Rio, sprinter Irmgard Bensusan (30), for example, could do a great job. Wheelchair sprinter Merle Menje, who was referred to as the “German Wunderkind” after two European Championship titles, also caused quite a stir. She herself dampens expectations. “My competition comes mainly from overseas,” says the 17-year-old athlete. When it comes to swimmers, visually impaired Elena Krawzow from Berlin is considered to be the greatest hope – after all, the 27-year-old holds five world records.
And while the Germans were without a medal in the Olympic team sports, the goalballers in particular are among the gold candidates at the Paralympics.
How much are the premiums?
Since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the German Paralymics winners have received the same buzzer as the winners of the Olympic Games. Gold is rewarded (once) with 20,000 euros. Double gold does not bring a double premium.
How much does the television show?
ARD and ZDF broadcast alternately with the main broadcast times between 9:05 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., plus the online offerings in the live stream. It is also reported in the news formats and magazine programs; the “heute journal” at 9.45 pm will be supplemented by a ten-minute Paralympics block. Another service: audio descriptions for people with visual impairments, subtitles and daily summaries online in sign language. The first and the second have exclusive rights.
How big is the recognition?
Last week, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said goodbye to the largest German delegation with 55 people at Frankfurt Airport and took a lot of time. Real interest, not a mandatory appointment – that was how it was received by the athletes. “I really appreciate that,” says Markus Rehm: “It shows how important Paralympic sport has become.”
Distinguished visitor: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Friedhelm Julius Beucher, President of the German Disabled Sports Association, speak with Sitzv…olleyballer Francis Tonleu
Source: dpa / Oliver Rösler
Horst Köhler set the first important signal of a politician in 2008 when he was the first German head of state to officially bid farewell to a Paralympic team for the games outside Beijing. Joachim Gauck did this before Rio 2016. Steinmeier’s original plan was to travel to Japan. “I would have liked to visit you in the German House. The pandemic stands in the way, ”he told the athletes. “That is why I am very happy to meet you at least here at the airport and to wish you success.”
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