Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Sunday 12 January 2025, Luxembourg presented its Special Olympics team, which will represent the country at the World Winter Games 2025 in Turin, Italy, in just two months.
This marks the 12th edition of the Special Olympics World Winter Games, an event celebrating the abilities and achievements of individuals with intellectual disabilities. From 8 to 15 March 2025, 1,500 athletes from over 100 countries will compete in eight sports, according to the organisers.
Luc Klonski, Head of Delegation for Special Olympics Luxembourg, highlighted the selection process for athletes and the unique aspects of these games: "We have three Olympics: the normal Olympic Games, the Paralympics, and the Special Olympics. Paralympics are for people with physical disabilities. Our athletes have intellectual disabilities - that’s the difference. World Games are very special for everyone. We ensure that most of the athletes will be competing for the first time, or maybe the second time, so that everyone has the chance to experience this at least once. We also assess whether they can live together for ten days. Unfortunately, some athletes cannot join us for this duration. Of course, we also consider their ability to perform in their sport and their potential to win a medal. Winning is a goal, but it’s not the most important thing. The priority is to ensure they can participate properly in this event."
The Luxembourg delegation will consist of 21 members, including eleven athletes competing in three sports:
Alpine Skiing: Danièle Jankowoy, Caroline Schambourg, Yves Logelin and Marten Ottens
Snowshoeing: Sophie Caron, Catia Jacobs and Dimitri (Dima) Sacrè
Cross-Country Skiing: Nora Urbing, Tammy Solver, Sven Didier and Pierre (Pit) Frank
Marten Ottens, one of the team's most experienced athletes, previously competed in swimming at the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi. Speaking about the upcoming games, he said: "In winter, I don’t find anything difficult about competing; I just enjoy it. For me, the most important thing is to enjoy myself, have fun, and represent my country as best as I can. In the Winter Games, the first priority is getting down safely. You don’t need to focus on your ranking but aim to gain as much speed as possible. That’s always been my approach."
Snowshoeing, a form of running on snow using snowshoes to avoid sinking into the surface, is one of the events in which Luxembourg will compete. Catia Jacobs, who competed in the World Games in both 2013 and 2017 and has had success in this sport, shared her perspective: "The main goal for me is to make new friends and have a good time with the team from Luxembourg. It’s not about which medal I might earn; it’s about having fun during the competition with the team."
The Special Olympics Luxembourg delegation will depart for Italy on Friday 7 March 2025. Before the games, the team will attend a training camp in Liechtenstein from 19 to 26 January.
