He gives up going to Tokyo: "The holding of the Games is not reasonable at this time"

By Melanie Haack (Die Welt)

To discover

• The full Olympic program

• The Olympic medal table

The Olympics kicked off last Friday in the Japanese capital.

From August 24 to September 5, it will be the turn of the Paralympic athletes to compete for the medals.

Hans-Peter Durst, 63, was among the favorites to win gold in cycling races in his category.

However, Durst, who lost his balance in a road accident in 1994 and whose field of vision is limited, has made a big decision: he gives up defending his chances.

He recently proved himself to be at his best, winning two European titles.

However, the decision of the two-time Paralympic winner and ten-time world champion is irrevocable.

Despite five years of hard training on a custom-designed tricycle, he did not win the supreme award.

There are reasons for this.

For him, it is a question of health, respect and solidarity.

He comes back to this in more detail in this interview.

DIE WELT: Hans-Peter

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