Biggest multisport event since ’72
What makes the Special Olympics so special?
6/16/2023 7:22 am
300,000 people are expected in Germany, since the Olympic Games in Munich there has not been a multi-sport event that is so big in Germany. But what is the Special Olympics about? An overview.
What’s up?
The world’s largest inclusive sporting event. Around 7,000 athletes with mental and multiple disabilities from 190 countries will compete against each other in 26 sports from Saturday to June 25 in Berlin.
What is the importance of the event?
The World Games will be the largest multi-sport event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and will be held in Germany for the first time. Around 300,000 visitors are expected to attend the competitions in the federal capital.
What sports are part of the program?
Athletics, badminton, basketball, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, bocce, bowling, cycling, horseback riding, hockey, futsal, soccer, golf, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, handball, judo, canoeing, open water and pool swimming, powerlifting, roller skating, sailing, Table tennis, tennis and volleyball.
How does classification work?
There are classification competitions at the beginning of the games to determine the level of performance. Based on their performance in these heats, the athletes are divided into final groups of a maximum of eight people, within which the difference in performance may not exceed 15 percent. In order to avoid tactical approaches, there is the “Honest Effort Rule” – according to this, anyone who shows at least 15 percent better performance in the final than in the preliminary heat is disqualified.
What can be expected from the German team?
The Special Olympics Germany (SOD) team includes more than 400 athletes and unified partners without disabilities. The host country is thus the largest delegation – with correspondingly good medal prospects. In contrast to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, clear favorites can hardly be identified in advance, since a lot depends on the short-term classification in the final competitions. SOD head of delegation Tom Hauthal defines success as “very complex” and not only dependent on the number of medals.
What does “Unified Sports” mean?
In addition to the normal competitions, there will also be “Unified Sports” competitions in 16 disciplines. In the spirit of inclusion, people with and without intellectual disabilities compete as a couple. The non-mentally impaired partner may also have a physical impairment.
How does the media report on the games?
Very extensive. Eleven major media companies have formed an alliance for the World Games to bundle their reporting: ARD, “Bild”, DAZN, Deutsche Telekom, Meta, Prime Video, ProSiebenSat1, RTL, Sky, Sport1 and ZDF. Like 13 sports, the opening and closing ceremonies are offered live as a world signal. Summaries are made of the remaining sports. The opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium on June 17 will be broadcast live on RBB, Sky and sportdeutschland.tv.