Special Olympics Luxembourg has announced that Luxembourg will send a 21-strong delegation comprising 14 athletes to the World Winter Games which were initially scheduled to take place in Sweden in March 2021 but which will now take place in Kazan, Russia.
The change follows a refusal of a subsidy from the Swedish government; as a result, local organisers were forced to decline the Games at the beginning of this year. With Russia and the city of Kazan, Special Olympics found an alternative. The Games will therefore be postponed until 2022 (22 to 28 January) and will see the participation of some 2,000 athletes with an intellectual disability from 108 countries.
The 21-strong Luxembourg delegation, including 14 athletes, was appointed last Thursday at a meeting at La Coque. Since the number of potential candidates exceeded that of the quotas granted, a partial draw was necessary. The lucky ones are Danièle Jankowoy, Caroline Schambourg, Alastair Lesire, Aly Hoffmann (alpine skiing), Silvia Splicks, Béa Cannels, Lynn Streitz, Francesco Zarotti, Pit Frank, Luigi Alberti (cross-country skiing), Cathia Jacobs, Nora Urbing, Gérard Hilger and Laurent Rosseljong (snow shoes).
Supervision is provided by Gaby Toex-Flammang, Jerry Garson, Jérôme Charpentier, Dan Werecki (coaches), Marianne Schonckert (physiotherapist), Anne Wiance and Marc Feltgen (heads of delegation).
Preparation will begin in the autumn with two internships in Bavaria (December 2020 and 2021).
