Schäfer, Forster and cross-country skier: para-athletes of the year
Prosthetic long jumper Leon Schäfer, monoskier Anna-Lena Forster and the Nordic relay team are Para athletes of the year. The 26-year-old Schäfer from Leverkusen received the award for the first time after his gold jump with a world record at the World Championships in Paris, while 28-year-old Forster from Radolfzell won for the second time since 2022. She won four gold medals and one silver at the World Championships.
At the gala in Düsseldorf, 21-year-old shot putter Yannis Fischer (Stuttgart) was also presented with the Young Talent Award following his gold medal coup at the World Championships, Verena Bentele with the Honorary Award and Ralf Rombach (Nordic skiing) for the winter sports and Tom Kosmehl (triathlon) for the summer as Coach of the Year.
Kosmehl coined the most creative wish for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris due to the questionable water quality: "I hope that all the manhole covers in the Seine hold." Bentele, twelve-time Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon, then Federal Government Commissioner for the Disabled and now DOSB Vice President, was unable to be there for health reasons. "I will drink a glass of champagne under medical supervision," she announced with a laugh.
The votes of a nine-member panel of experts and 9,000 votes from an online poll were taken into account. Overall, the standard of the para-athletes this year was extremely high, praised DBS President Friedhelm Julius Beucher. "One year before the Paralympic Games in Paris, we have experienced a Para sport summer that is second to none," he said.
Schäfer's triumph in disabled sports at the World Championships in Paris cemented his position as a contender for the Sportsman-of-the-year award. Despite missing the gala due to health reasons, Bentele, a notable Paralympics champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming Paralympics in alpine skiing and Nordic skiing events. DBS, recognizing the exceptional performances of para-athletes, announced rewards for various categories, including Paralympics champions in athletics and skiing.
Source: www.dpa.com
