The "Special Olympics" 2023 will take place in Bad Tölz.
This has now been contractually sealed since Friday.
Bad Tölz
- The Olympic spirit will blow through Bad Tölz in January 2023.
The city and the surrounding area will host the next Winter Games, the “Special Olympics” for people with intellectual disabilities.
As an experienced ice stock athlete, Maria Bertl should be a hot medal contender.
“I already have two trophies,” explains the woman from Tölz proudly.
And at the next Winter Games, the “Special Olympics” for people with intellectual disabilities, the girl from Tölzer will also enjoy home advantage.
This has been officially confirmed since Mayor Ingo Mehner and Erwin Horak, chairman of the “Special Olympics Bayern” (Soby), signed the agreement on Friday for Tölz to host the Games.
The date of the major event was also announced: 23 to 26 January 2023.
Lions club took the initiative
The initiative was taken by the local Lions Club to bring Bad Tölz into play as an event location.
"The concept was so conclusive and convincing that we were immediately focused on Tölz and knew: It will be something," said Horak on Friday at a press conference in Tölz town hall.
Athletes spokesman Simon Deuschl also expressed his anticipation - who does not do winter sports himself, but athletics, but still wants to travel to Tölz.
Above all, he is looking forward to "the opening ceremony and the lighting of the Olympic flame," he said.
"I always get goose bumps because it's so solemn."
Up to 700 athletes are expected to attend the Soby Winter Games.
According to the organizer, a total of 1,300 participants come with trainers, helpers, an organization team and relatives.
On three days of the competition, the athletes compete in ten disciplines.
This includes not only the classic winter sports such as figure skating, cross-country skiing or alpine skiing, but also some indoor disciplines such as dance or climbing.
Ice station will be the central point of contact
In Bad Tölz, the Soby team and tourist information manager Brita Hohenreiter announced that the ice rink will be the central sports facility and contact point. A lot will take place in the immediate vicinity: on the open spaces, in the climbing hall, the Emotionbase and the sports youth hostel, "perhaps supplemented by floating structures," said Hohenreiter. There is then not only a contest for medals, but there is also a “non-competitive supporting program”. This could include exercise games such as ball throwing biathlon, tandem skiing and the like, as Sebastian Stuhlinger, deputy branch manager of Soby, reported. "Everyone can join in there, including school classes and sports groups." As things stand, the cross-country competition on the Ellbacher Loipe,the Alpine Dispziplnen on Brauneck and stick sports are held on the "Eisratz'n" facility in Schaftlach.
"Sport is a driver of inclusion"
The basic idea of the “Special Olympics” is, on the one hand, that people with intellectual disabilities gain recognition, self-confidence and participation in society through sport and successes.
For the organizers, it is also very important to meet and interact with the entire city population as a matter of course.
"Sport is a driver of inclusion because you meet at eye level," said Stuhlinger.
That is why many local school classes, clubs or individual helpers should also be involved.
Stuhlinger promised everyone involved "an incredibly exhilarating experience".
There are opportunities to meet not only when doing sports, but also when partying: an opening and a closing ceremony are planned on Marktstrasse.
There will also be an “athletes and helper disco”.
“The bear is dancing there,” Horak said.
You can read more news from the Bad Tölz region here.
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our new, regular Bad Tölz newsletter.
