German para athletes in the fight for medals: A look at Paris 2024

German para athletes in the fight for medals: A look at Paris 2024

The first days of the Paralympic Games in Paris are shaped by mixed feelings for the German para athletes. While some athletes such as Niko Kappel and Leon Schäfer came out of their competitions with a depressed mood, there are also encouraging successes, but they are not sufficient to meet the ambitions of the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS).

Niko Kappel, who went into the race as a world champion in the shot put, could not meet the high expectations. He remained significantly behind his personal best and ended the competition with a disappointed look after he had to give up the Paralympics winner Bobirjon Omonov. Sprinter Leon Schäfer was similar, who went into the competition both in the long jump and over a hundred meters as a contender as a contender, but remained without precious metal.

challenges and pressure by the competition

The overall balance of the German athletes shows three gold medals, but this is not enough to justify the goal of reaching a place in the top ten nations. DBS President Friedhelm Julius Beucher said that the team had to do more in order not to further increase the gap to the leading nations. New nations have also increased at the top of the tableaus, which increases the pressure on traditional sports nations.

The pressure becomes more and more noticeable, both in the competitions and in the training conditions. Karl Quade, Chef de Mission, confidently commented that there are still medal hopes in sports such as road bike races, athletics and rowing. "We have to do well in these disciplines to restore the connection to the top positions," said Quade.

An interesting approach shows Felix Streng, who trains abroad to benefit from other training methods. He sees his bronze medal as a success and sees the international composition of his German team as an advantage. "It's about the philosophy behind the training, and I think that is good for us," said Strictly with regard to the adjustments of his training methods.

positive surprises and future perspectives

Although some athletes have to deal with disappointing performances, the games can also set positive accents. New arrivals like Maurice Wetex in swimming and the gold medalist Josia Tim, Alexander Popf and Tanja Scholz bring fresh optimism. Quade emphasized the positive surprises and emphasized that it is decisive in the past few days, as the team performs.

For the German para athletes, it is clear that recovery and possibly a realignment are necessary to achieve better results in the remaining competitions. The first achievements were mixed, but the hope of a strong final phase remains. With all disappointment, the goal remains to improve the medal balance in the upcoming competitions and to use the Airtage of the Paralympics in the best possible way.