Image: Gruber
A number of television stations broadcast live, around 7,000 athletes from 170 nations were at the start and 50,000 fans attended the opening ceremony in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. We are talking about the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, competitions for people with intellectual disabilities.
Austria was represented by 62 athletes and 29 coaches in 15 summer sports. Four athletes from Lebenshilfe Oberösterreich – including Daniel Weilhartner from Lambrecht and Melinda Baumgartlinger from Ried from the Lebenshilfe workshop in Ried – represented Upper Austria in Berlin. The Rieder hopes for medals. The two competed in the 50m and 100m. “In the individual competitions, things did not go according to plan with two disqualifications”says Maria Gruber, trainer and Lebenshilfe employee. “On the one hand, there were technical errors that Daniel and Melinda made, so the disqualification was okay. On the other hand, the athletes were disqualified because they were simply too fast”, Gruber continues. To explain: There is a given time window for the athletes in which they are not allowed to be faster or slower. It’s about the Special Olympics World Games, so maybe you shouldn’t necessarily experiment, says Riederin, who emphasizes that these regulations were new.
In the end, Melinda Baumgartlinger was allowed to run in the relay, which ended up in fourth place. “A huge success for Austria”, says Gruber, who reported that the atmosphere at the games was unbelievable. This is how Daniel Weilhartner saw it: “We met so many nice people and it was a nice experience. I really had a lot of fun.”
After the games, the 20-year-old had the great honor of welcoming Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on behalf of the other athletes at the reception in the Hofburg. “I was nervous at the beginning, but I prepared well”says the Lambrechtner proudly.
Source: Nachrichten
