Para-skier Anna-Maria Rieder has been granted permission to start the Paralympics in Pyeongchang (9. till 18. March) in March. At the age of 18, this talented youngster, paralysed on one side, is the youngest athlete in the line-up of the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS). Rieder had won a surprising bronze medal at the World Championships last year.
“This is very good news and a good decision, especially since Anna-Maria is travelling to Pyeongchang this season and last year due to her placements in the slalom,”said national coach Justus Wolf.
The DBS had applied for an additional starting place for Rieder, which was approved by the International Paralympic Committee on Friday. The team now consists of eleven athletes and nine athletes as well as four accompanying runners in the sports Para Ski alpine and Para Ski Nordic. The team is led by the successful para skier Anna Schaffelhuber.
Para Ski alpine: Anna-Lena Forster, Georg Kreiter, Thomas Nolte, Anna-Maria Rieder, Noemi Ristau, Andrea Rothfuss, Anna Schaffelhuber; Accompanying runner: Lucien Gerkau
Nordic para skis: Alexander Ehler, Andrea Eskau, Martin Fleig, Vivian Hösch, Clara Klug, Steffen Lehmker, Nico Messinger, Anja Wicker; Accompanying runners: Martin Härtl, Lutz Klausmann, Florian Schillinger
Wheelchair curling: Wolf Meißner, Heike Melchior, Harald Pavel, Christiane Putzich, Martin Schlitt