The World Winter Games for people with intellectual disabilities were spectacularly opened with a dazzling celebration. The competitions will take place from March 9-15. Switzerland is represented by a 68-member Team Switzerland.
Last night, the “Flame of Hope” was lit in the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, marking the official start of the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 – the world’s largest sporting and humanitarian event of the year. The atmosphere in the packed stadium was electric as delegations from over 100 countries marched in to cheering applause. The Swiss delegation was also warmly welcomed and presented themselves full of pride and anticipation for the upcoming competitions. Impressive show acts thrilled athletes, coaches and the audience alike. Musical highlights were provided by the Italian singer, rapper and producer Mr. Rain and the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc.
A first for Switzerland – a Team Switzerland athlete takes part as a torchbearer
Lighting the Flame of Hope is always a highlight of the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics Games. Yesterday in Turin, in the well-filled Inalpi Arena, everyone from Switzerland in the audience had a very special goosebump moment: for the very first time, a Swiss athlete, Rinaldo Burgener, was allowed to carry the torch.
Swiss athletes compete in three new and five proven sports
Figure Skating, Dance Sport and Speed Skating have not previously been official competition sports at Special Olympics Switzerland, but are on the program at World Games of the world’s largest sports movement for people with disabilities. With a view to the World Winter Games, which will take place in Switzerland in March 2029, these disciplines are now also being promoted in Switzerland and included in the program. For the World Winter Games Turin 2025, a small team has therefore been selected for these sports for the first time. Switzerland will also compete in the proven sports of Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing and Floorball. The competitions will last from March 9-15, 2025.
You can find the competition schedules here and results are continuously uploaded here.
I want to win, but if I cannot win, then I will bravely do my best.
The Special Olympics athletes’ oath sums it up perfectly: of course the Swiss athletes want to win a medal at the World Games and deliver in every final what they have trained and practised for months. But it is just as important to take part and do your best in competition. Unihockey player Stefan Niederberger confirms: “A medal would certainly be nice, but being here in Turin and being able to represent Switzerland is already fantastic.” Aldo Doninelli, Head of Delegation for the Swiss team, adds: “Of course, everyone’s ambition is to achieve a victory. But even more valuable and lasting are the experiences the athletes gain during the preparation and the Games: they develop their skills enormously and strengthen their independence and self-confidence. These experiences are very helpful later on in mastering everyday life.”
The special sports philosophy of Special Olympics
At Special Olympics everyone can participate. Each athlete is assigned to homogeneous performance groups based on classification competitions. Within a group there are a maximum of 8 and a minimum of 3 athletes and the performance difference is plus/minus 15%. They finally compete in these divisions for the final competition. In this way, all participants – regardless of their performance level – have a fair and real chance of winning a medal. It is important that the athletes can develop both athletically and mentally based on their abilities. The World Games are a platform to show the world what they are capable of. They experience appreciation and are respected and honored for their performance.
Pictures are continuously uploaded here.
Image credit: WeArePepper/Name of the photographer
