Paralympics without South Tyrol: These are the reasons

“I watch everything and don’t miss anything. And I'm always annoyed by how the course settings are sometimes completely wrong. And that the conditions in Asia are so extreme: once minus 20 degrees, then plus 10.” Once an athlete, always an athlete: This applies to disabled athlete Christian Lanthaler, even after his impressive skiing career. The multiple world champion in slalom and jumping is still active in water skiing.

The 55-year-old from Ultimo, whose left foot had to be amputated at the age of 5 due to a terrible accident on a material cable car, competed in 7 Paralympics. From 1992 in Albertville-Tignes to 2014 in Sochi, the successful goldsmith was always there. He has “only” won medals once: in 2002, the alpine skier won silver in the standing class in the downhill and super-G. “I was already very close to winning the medal in Nagano four years ago, I was on course for a medal in the slalom and the giant slalom, but I didn’t make it to the finish line.” A success story for many years South Tyrol and the Paralympics – that was a success story for many years. Bruno Oberhammer won the most precious metal between 1984 and 1998 with three gold, five silver and four bronze medals. Josef Erlacher, Manfred Perfler, Paolo Lorenzini, Dorothea Agethle, Helmuth Wolf, Roland Ruepp, Florian Planker and Christian Lanthaler - they all won more than 3 Paralympics medals. The last ones were in 5 with Roland Ruepp (4 gold, 30 silver, 2002 bronze), Lanthaler (2 silver) and Florian Planker (1 bronze). Nothing has worked since then.

Christian Lanthaler believes he knows why: “As always, there are a variety of reasons. On the one hand, our society, and therefore also potential disabled athletes, is doing too well. The effort required to even get to training is greater than for normal athletes. Hardly anyone wants to put in this effort anymore. In addition, professionalization is now enormous. This is no longer comparable to our times. We organized ski training in Senales for the first time in November. There is also a lack of leadership with vision, with clear goals and objectives. The Italian Disabled Sports Federation is not based on performance and professionalism, but is mainly staffed by people who have good relationships.”

In the past, Lanthaler also wanted to do his part to attract new disabled athletes. “But I won’t go begging to get the job. You have to approach me about that. As a former one-legged athlete, in my opinion I know better how to talk to a rider who also has an amputee than a trainer with two feet,” the 2-year-old explains the obvious difference.

" data-fancybox="inline-105182" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2022/03/waren-beim-ski-joering-in-lappland-matthias-laimer-vom-restaurant-hanswirt-in-rabland-und-christian-lanthaler-erster-und-2-von-links-mit-dem-top-ge.jpg"> Were at the ski joring in Lapland: Matthias Laimer from the Hanswirt restaurant in Rabland and Christian Lanthaler (first and second from left) with the Top Gear team and cult presenter Jeremy Clarkson (far right).

Aside from the Paralympics, Christian Lanthaler is still in demand. As a former skijoring pilot, he was invited to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland last weekend. None other than cult reporter Jeremy Clarkson from the legendary British Top Gear car TV show wanted him to be part of a special documentary that will be broadcast next November. Another South Tyrolean skijoring rider, Matthias Laimer from Rabland, was there.

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Paralympics without South Tyrol: These are the reasons

Seven-time Paralympic participant Christian Lanthaler talks about the reasons why South Tyrolean athletes are now rare at the Paralympic Games.

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