Dhe first athletes moved into the Olympic Village in Tokyo. The Games will begin in Japan’s capital on Friday, and then – from August 24th to September 5th – the Paralympic athletes will fight for medals. Hans-Peter Durst (63) would have been a favorite for gold in the cycling races in his class.
However, Durst, who lost his sense of balance in a traffic accident in 1994 and has a restricted field of vision, decided of his own free will: He renounced. He recently proved that he is in top form with two European Championship titles, but the two-time Paralympic winner and ten-time world champion did not change his mind. Five years of hard training on a three-wheel bike specially made for him – with no Olympic reward. There are reasons. It’s about health, respect and solidarity. In an interview, he explains this in more detail.
WORLD: Mr. Durst, you are in top shape if you would have made it to the top podium in Tokyo. Have you regretted your decision in the past few weeks?
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