Thursday, March 13, 2014 Paralympic Post IN COOPERATION WITH Positive change An interview with IOC President Thomas Bach Moving forward Testing the accessibility of Sochi Paralympics_Tagesspiegel_13. March 2014_2 Contents 04 Fiercely competitive Para-snowboarder Nicole Roundy takes off in the Paralympics’ new event Breaking the ice 05 The Opening Ceremony for the Paralympic Games was outstanding 06 Advantage or not? Paralympic athletes want to compete with able-bodied sportsmen First steps to accessibility 10 Sochi claims to be the very first barrier-free city in Russia. We did the test 11 “Positive change“ IOC President Thomas Bach talks about the Paralympic Games Go for Gold 13 Anna Schaffelhuber is the youngest gold medallist in the German team 15 Uncertain legacy Can Sochi become Russia’s first-ever international winter sports centre? The countdown begins 16 The 2016 games will take place in Brazil’s scenic Rio de Janeiro Photos: Getty (2), Thilo Rückeis (3), dpa (2), Imago www How does it feel to be at the Games as a journalist? Take a look at the Para- lympic diary of our young reporters: tagesspiegel.de/paralympics 3_Paralympics_Tagesspiegel_13. March 2014 Hello! Dear readers, the idea to further an inclu- sive society was the primary mo- tive behind the Paralympic Post when we started the project 10 ye- Photo: DGUV ars ago. Since 2004, the newspaper has been reporting about the performances, the triumphs and defeats of Paralympic athletes, their hopes and dreams. It contributes to giving people with disabilities a much deserved place in Salut! the spotlight. And it is an instrument of peaceful international exchange and coope- Dear readers, ration, bringing young reporters from Ger- the Paralym- many and the respective host countries to- pic Post is a fan- gether. tastic project Imprint In the past few weeks, however, many which I have sup- have asked themselves: can one celebrate ported for years. Publishers the Paralympic Games in these times of poli- The young repor- Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung tical tensions? We, at German Social Acci- ters from diffe- (DGUV), Verlag Der Tagesspiegel, dent Insurance, have pondered this ques- Photo: dpa rent countries panta rhei GmbH tion, too. Ultimately, we have decided to conti- working toget- Editors nue with our project Paralympics Zeitung / her as a team and producing an entertaining Clara Kaminsky Paralympic Post despite a difficult political newspaper is a fantastic example of how dif- Carsten Kloth background. ferent nationalities are united through Annette Kögel Why? We believe that the Paralympics pro- sports and interests. Their different points Julia Ilinykh mote an idea that is of both universal appeal of views, cultures and attitudes make the pa- Nik Afanasjew and value: that we need to appreciate the di- per all the more exciting to read. Karin Preugschat versity of humankind, that this diversity is This is the spirit of the Paralympic move- Moritz Döbler (V.i.S.d.P.) our greatest treasure, and that no one ment and the atmosphere we are hoping for Special Editors should be excluded from participating in the at the games. The international games are a Bradley Neen life of the community on the grounds of who great opportunity for athletes, spectators, of- George Simonds they are. Art Director We are convinced that the Paralympic Ga- ficials and politicians from all over the world Sabine Wilms mes are not just a showcase of tremendous to meet on an even footing. They are united Catrin Oldenburg athletic performances but an instrument of by a common idea: a peaceful and great ga- Layout change – a change we hope to support with mes. The Paralympic values of inspiration, Fritz Schanninger our Paralympic Post. equality, courage and determination should Production be directive for us all. Marco Schiffner Your DR. JOACHIM BREUER I very much hope the games continue to Photographer General Director of the German Social be a great success and inspire a lot of young Thilo Rückeis Accident Insurance (DGUV) people around the world. Titel: Russian team players celebrate Your WILLI LEMKE their victory over USA after their group Special Adviser to the United Nations stage ice sledge hockey match. Photo: dpa Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace The Paralympic Post 10 years and still as exciting as ever. The jubilee edition of the international newspaper project is once again written by an enthusiastic international group of young reporters. The Paralympic Post Sochi 2014 talents are Amrei Zieri- acks, Anastasija Arinushkina, Anastasija Rusavskaja, Anna Lisina, Anton Latynin, Bradley Neen, Christina Spitz- müller, David Kramer, George Simonds, Jonas Wengert, Julia Hollnagel, Katharina Schiller, Nicolas Feißt, Tatjana Popadyova und Vladislav Radjuk. The team of British, Rus- sian and German students are not only filling the Paralym- pic Post with exciting and well-informed articles. They are also working on the two issues of the German language Paralympics Zeitung and the Russian edition, the Paralim- pijskij Reporter. The Paralympic Post has been co-published by the Ger- man Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Un- fallversicherung, DGUV), the publishing house Der Tages- spiegel and the agency panta rhei since the Paralympic Games in Athens 2004. After two preparatory workshops in Berlin and Moscow our team arrived in Sochi in time for the Opening Ceremony. Since then, they have been busy 24/7: interviewing athletes and officials in English, Ger- man and Russian, writing articles, translating for their col- leagues, catching up on sleep on the busses to and from the venues, researching behind the scenes in the prosthe- tics workshops, in the Paralympic village and visiting Photo: Thilo Rückeis press conferences. Clara Kaminsky Paralympics_Tagesspiegel_13. March 2014_4 No stopping us “The competition will keep getting tighter and the courses longer.“ USA’s Nicole Roundy gives the low-down on the Paralympics’ newest sport Photo: AFP Austrian skier Matthias Lanzinger. BRADLEY NEEN ara-snowboarding is “fiercely competitiveracing.”That’showNi- cole Roundy, who will represent Fresh Pthe United States in the Paralym- pics’ newest event, describes the sport. Roundy, who had her right leg amputated due to bone cancer aged eight, stepped start onto the ski slope for the first time in 2004. Tenyearslatershe proudlytakesher place in the team of 80 US athletes at the tenth atthiasLanzingerwascountedasafu- Winter Paralympic Games. Snowboarding ture Olympic athlete for Austria, a is the latest inclusion in the Winter Para- Myoung talent that had already won lympics. The competition has two medal great races in alpine skiing. He won the Eu- events, men’s and women’s, included in ropa Cup, was Austrian champion twice and the alpine skiing category. Roundy ran the even junior World Champion. Then he had a Paralympic Post through the main female dramatic accident at a Super G competition in competitors. “Bibian Mentel-Spee from Kvjitfell, Norway in 2008. His left leg had to be the Netherlands is the favorite for gold. amputated. After a long and painful recovery, She’sdynamite!” he started competing again in disabled win- In the men’scategory, favourite to win is ter sports in the season 2011/12. In an inter- USA’s Evan Strong, who is an X-Games view with Tagesspiegel,he pointed out that he gold medallist. He will face competition didnotstartcompetingagainforfame,butfor from the likes of New Zealand’s Carl himself. Still, his aims are competitive and Murphy and Tyler Mosher of Canada. The clear: "I came to Sochi to win medals. After a snowboarding events take place on the good start this season, my hopes are justi- penultimate day of the games. This means fied." The international attention Lanzinger competitors will spend more than a week Nicole Roundy of the receivesisimmense,heistheAustrian alpine in Sochi before their competitions start. It United States of star, the news about his accident was spread is not foolish to wonder whether the added America competes in a aroundtheworldandnoweveryoneisinteres- wait will help or hinder the athletes. “I'm Snowboard Cross Adaptive ted in this special comeback. Despite all the personally enjoying pacing myself and Standing Women. potential distractions, he stays focussed for being able to enjoy the games while I focus the games, which are "a special highlight for on preparation,” said Roundy. us Paralympians". In his first competition, Roundy also juggles her training sche- downhill, henarrowly missed the medals, co- dule around a full time job. After gaining a ming fourth. Concerning the difficult conditi- degree in business management in 2012, ons of the route, the athlete stated he would Photo: Getty she nowworksin online marketing.Fortu- "send prayers to heaven before the start and nately, there is rarely a clash of inte- re-check the screws." After his fourth place rests.“Occasionally, I have to sacrifice thoughnot due tocompete in Sochi (hehad moment, Paralympic snowboarding is finish, he wrote on Facebook that this is the some training for my job and vice versa. an upper limb impairment), Robinson was only open to athletes with lower limb place you don’t want at the Paralympics. One I've been incredibly fortunate to work for a regarded as one of the most talented and impairments. “It is my hope, to develop day later,he achieved his aim and won a silver company that supports and understands popular athletes in his sport. a stronger, smarter, and more talented medal in Super G, the same discipline in the passion for what I do.” The sport was As for the future, the aim is to ensure group of athletes worldwide,” says which he had his accident six years before. saddened last month by the death of Aus- para-snowboarding receives more reco- Roundy. “I think that the competition Only his compatriot Markus Salcher could tralian snowboarder Matthew Robinson. gnition in the media and with specta- will keep getting tighter, the courses beat him on this very difficult slope.