Special Olympics 2009 in Idaho, USA

Starting next weekend, more than 3,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from around 100 countries will compete for medals in seven winter sports at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho, USA. For a week, athletes in Idaho will compete for medals and Olympic honors in figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Special Olympics Deutschland e.V. is sending 74 athletes across the Atlantic to the USA, where they will compete in six of the seven sports in Idaho.

The Special Olympics for winter sports athletes with intellectual disabilities are being held for the ninth time this year. They aim to help integrate athletes who are otherwise disadvantaged into the international sporting world. Depending on the degree of their disability, athletes are accompanied during their respective competitions by specially trained coaches, much like at the Paralympics, the Olympic Games for athletes with physical disabilities.

Following the example of the “real” Olympic Games, the competitions in Idaho will also be framed by an opening ceremony (07.02.) and a closing ceremony (13.02.). The international health program “Healthy Athletes” will also be represented in Idaho, with various events and information about the Special Olympics, providing entertainment beyond the sporting events as well.