German para-athletes happy about start of Beijing Winter Paralympics

BERLIN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Mono-ski athlete Anna-Lena Forster on Friday expressed her joy after carrying the German flag at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics held in the National Stadium of the Chinese capital.

"This is a great honor and I am very much looking forward to the competitions. To be honest, I can't wait to start," said the 26-year-old Forster, who won two golds in previous Paralympics.

Ahead of the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, Forster won four gold medals at the 2022 World Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway.

Forster carried the German flag alongside with biathlon athlete Martin Fleig. The 32-year-old Fleig spoke of the 2022 Winter Paralympics as something very special.

"You just read the names of all these athletes, and you are part of them; that gives you an overwhelming feeling," the German said, adding that he's aiming at repeating his 2018 success when he took a gold.

Forster and Fleig are part of a 17-athlete German team competing in the Paralympics, with the team experiencing a generation change and nine of the athletes making their debut at the Paralympics.

Alpine skier Andrea Rothfuss is the star to watch from the German delegation as the 32-year-old is attending her fifth games after collecting 13 Paralympic medals in her career.

In the 2018 Paralympics, Germany won seven gold, eight silver and four bronze medals, ending up fifth in the medal table.

Former para Alpine skier and track-and-field athlete Matthias Berg praised China's efforts in the field of inclusion.

"The country has made enormous efforts to improve the situation for sportspeople with disabilities. These efforts can be mentioned as an example to follow," Berg said.

The 11-times gold medal winner spoke of "the picture having changed in public as the message is common sense, and every person with disabilities can find their place in society and sports."

German Chef de Mission Karl Quade said: "Every athlete is contributing his/her share to a prosperous society. The 2022 Beijing Paralympics will prove that all sportspeople are capable of great achievements and stand for the joy of sports."