What an exciting competition that was. Huge cheers and sadness from winners and runners-up, great camaraderie and genuine applause from the spectator stands. Exciting team and individual competitions in a total of 26 sports at the Special Olympics 2023 in Berlin, which is just coming to an end. And – for me – the best thing about it: There were no commercial companies in the foreground whose logo or commercial would have been omnipresent, as is usual in many other sports competitions.
No huge banners at the sports facilities, no sponsorship jingles and also no advertising partners for the athletes, who absolutely want to see their company name displayed several times. In addition to inclusion and international understanding, the Special Olympics were all about one thing: athletic competition. Everyone gives their best in the sport, which often required months of training, for which a number of qualifications were required and for which large teams (consisting of local sports clubs, friends and families) helped out in the background, so that all participants were only able to do it can concentrate on the sporting competition.
Around 7000 athletes with mental and multiple disabilities compete with and against each other in the Special Olympics. It is the largest multisport event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Germany is represented with 413 athletes. The movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, a sister of former US President John F. Kennedy. The motivation was her sister Rosemary’s disability.
Since then, the Special Olympics have developed into a permanent institution. As with the Olympic Games and the Paralympics (for the physically challenged), there are Summer and Winter Games.
Of course, I am aware that in many professional sports without sponsors and effective media advertising partnerships it would simply be impossible to maintain the quality and sporting level over a longer period of time. The dilemma of being able to cheer people on for their top performances – but doing so as non-commercially as possible – will not be resolved any time soon.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I am happy to have experienced exactly this combination at this event: the open water medal winner Leo Heckel, for example, the Austrian mixed volleyball team or the successful gymnasts Valeria Nardo and Giovanna Angela Demurtas.
Unlimited cheering and all without “exclusive” advertising partners (which would have been absurd for an inclusive sports event) and for day ticket prices of seven euros. For me, this was top-class sport without frills in the most pleasant atmosphere and with the aim of not excluding anyone. There should be a lot more such competitions – not only in Germany.
