Saturday 24th July 2021
“Is that lived inclusion ?!”
Rehm railed about his Olympic ban
Markus Rehm would like to finally be able to compete in the Olympic Games. The long jumper does the job, but in Tokyo he has to watch again. Because the Paralympics winner jumps with a prosthesis, he is denied participation. His reaction to that is clear.
Markus Rehm’s mouth hung low down, the para-long jumper watched the Olympic opening ceremony in front of the television – the decision of the CAS was a huge mood killer for him. The International Sports Court let its last spark of hope for an Olympic participation burst, even a start in a separate evaluation was rejected by the highest authority.
“Of course I am disappointed that a start – especially in a separate rating – is not possible,” Rehm wrote on Instagram and vented his anger: “It’s nice to see how inclusive the opening ceremony was, but for me it is Question whether people with handicaps are only staged in a media-effective way for their own cause / image, or whether it is really inclusion !? “
Rehm had fought for weeks and months to get started at the Olympics and was determined to “set an example for inclusion and Paralympic sport”. The DOSB put the prosthesis jumper on the nomination list, but then the odyssey began. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not feel responsible and handed the case over to World Athletics.
The World Athletics Federation refused Rehm’s participation in the Olympics, so that only the passage in front of the CAS remained. “In the Olympic oath one adorns oneself with inclusion, equality and other noble values … athletes, coaches and referees stand for these values! Associations and their officials do not swear this oath, why actually?” Asked Rehm.
“I’m not interested in a medal”
The three-time Paralympics winner hoped to “initiate a lasting change with an Olympic start. And for this reason, it’s not about a medal, but about the message,” said the 32-year-old last. He saw the basis for a start authorization in a judgment of the CAS from last year, in which the burden of proof regarding a possible advantage of the prosthesis was reversed.
For Friedhelm Julius Beucher there were “no more arguments to refuse Markus Rehm participation in the Olympics,” said the President of the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS). Rehm himself was also optimistic, as previous studies could not prove any benefit from the prosthesis. And yet the CAS decided differently, initially there was no information on the reasons for the judge’s verdict.
Rehm now wants to quickly tick off the lost fight, after all, its real climax with the Paralympics is still ahead. “I am now continuing to prepare for MY competition,” announced the Leverkusen resident: “And yes, maybe with a little more motivation than before!”
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