Natürlich wurde Nancy Faeser nicht nur auf den Sport angesprochen beim Ball des Sports in der Frankfurter Festhalle. Die Bundestagswahl am Sonntag mit einer drohenden schweren Niederlage für ihre SPD war selbst bei der Aussicht auf einen Abend unter erfolgreichen Medaillengewinnern nicht aus dem Kopf zu bekommen. „Natürlich bleibt die Anspannung am Vorabend“, sagte die Bundesinnenministerin. „Ich werde aber versuchen, mit meinem Mann den Abend auch zu genießen. Ich versuche aber sicher auch, noch die ein oder andere Stimme zu gewinnen für die SPD.“
Bei Kristina Vogel wären ihre Mühen vergeblich gewesen. Die nach einem Trainingsunfall auf einen Rollstuhl angewiesene Bahnrad-Olympiasiegerin, die mit einem extravagant bunten Kleid auffiel, hatte vorsorglich per Brief gewählt, „weil man nie weiß, was morgen auf der Heimfahrt nach Berlin passieren kann.“
Mehr Chancen hätte sie bei Ruder-Olympiasieger Oliver Zeidler, im Dezember zum Sportler des Jahres gewählt, gehabt. Der für die Frankfurter Rudergesellschaft Germania startende Zeidler studiert derzeit in der Schweiz, ist aber in Frankfurt wahlberechtigt. „Für mich kommt der Ball des Sports sehr gelegen. Ich kann morgen bequem wählen gehen und musste nicht Briefwahl beantragen.“ Ob Faeser sich seine Stimme noch sichern konnte, wird ihr Geheimnis bleiben.
Klopps Begeisterung für die Paralympics
Gewonnen hat am Samstagabend beim großen Familientreffen der deutschen Athleten mit Sponsoren, Prominenten aus der Gesellschaft und eben den Sportpolitikern aber ganz gewiss der paralympische Sport. Er stand so sehr im Fokus des von der Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe zum 54. Mal ausgetragenen und und von Johannes B. Kerner zum 25. Mal moderierten Balls wie nie zuvor: Rollstuhlrugby wie auch Tischtennis und Sitzvolleyball präsentierten sich mit Vertretern der jeweiligen Nationalteams sozusagen als exklusive Beilage zum Gala-Dinner.
Above all, a demonstration of the wheelchair rugby national team was amazed. The athletes themselves describe the body -hugging game “as a mixture of car scooter and chess”. Strategy is important, but athletes tip over with their wheelchairs.
The now prevailing equality for Paralympic athletes at the sports aid and the ball of the sport emphasized Jürgen Schrapp, according to ball moderator Kerner a “legend of sitting volleyball”. “For us, this is a very special recognition for us,” said Schrapp. As a matter of course, the medalists among the parasy athletes belong to the exquisite circle of invited to the ball. Only the German medalists of the Olympic Games as well as world or European championships qualify from the previous twelve months.
A confessing fan of the Paralympic Sports is Jürgen Klopp, who had visited the Paralympics in Paris for three days last September. And so it fit very well that the football coach, which was now employed at Red Bull as “Head of Global Soccer”, was a guest at the ball of the sport for the first time.
“In Paris I only annoyed me that I didn't stay a whole week. Fantastic from the opening ceremony to swimming or badminton to the evenings in the German House, ”said Klopp. “I always wanted to go to Paralympic. In parasport you have to overcome completely different obstacles. This is also why my admiration could not be greater. I will definitely be there in paralymic games in 2028. “
Klopp has been pursuing parasport for two decades since he initially supported the former footballer Wojtek Czyz, which was leg amazed after an accident, with a benefit game of his then club Mainz 05 and later accompanied his career as one of the most successful German paralympians. Czyz was also a guest in Frankfurt and emphasized Klopp's effect on the paralymic sport. “His presence in Paris brought the paralymic thoughts,” said Czyz.
“Michael Groß is a role model”
Another superstar of German sport was finally honored with the golden sports pyramid: the triple swimming Olympic champion Michael Groß received the award, which was first awarded as part of the ball. “This award fulfills me with special joy, because not only successes in sports are awarded, but also what you can achieve at work,” said Groß. “Of course, it is particularly for me that it takes place in the 'Gudd Stubb' in my hometown and a circle closes because I was also awarded here in Frankfurt in the Festhalle as a junior athlete of the year in 1981. That was my first big award at the age of 17. “
In the laudation on large FAZ editor Carsten Knop, the swimming star called “Albatros” in the 1980s as a “real model”. “As a teenager, I was sitting on the screen in Dortmund and said: WoW and Abitur already has it,” said Knop, four years younger than the 60 -year -old. “Michael Groß proves that you can reconcile sports and academic career.”
In this way, the two BOB Olympic champions Laura Notle and Deborah Levy are still located, who have been living in Frankfurt for some time and are studying alongside sports for some time. The winter sports enthusiasts were very lucky with the scheduling. “Often the ball of sport is not possible due to races from us, this year we are lucky that we will only go to the World Cup from Frankfurt to Lake Placid on Tuesday and that we could still do athletics training here.” The home game was special for the Wahl-Frankfurt women, they praised Frankfurt not only because of the ball as a “real sports city”. “Frankfurt lives for sport. You saw that at the European Football European Championship and you can see that as a athlete with good Tarining venues every day, ”said Nolte.
Sports aid wants to strengthen “together our democracy”
But not enough of the praise for the host city: David Haye, the most prominent international visitors, the sports aid sponsor Hermann Bühlbeck as a guest, the ball of the sport “north” the biggest sporting event of this kind in Europe and all over the world “.
The former heavyweight world champion in boxing only missed his former opponent Wladimir Klitschko, to whom the Englishman was defeated in a union duel in two reigning world champions in 2011. “I really would have liked to meet him here,” he said of the once active and extremely popular Ukrainian in Germany. Some wishes then have to remain unfulfilled on such an evening. This may also apply to political prominence, for which the Bundestag election, which is always intended at the time of an Olympics, is due on Sunday.
The sports assistant, who hopes to redeem at least 600,000 euros from Sponsoring and a large raffle for athletic promotion with the gala with around 1,500 guests who can only acquire at the invitation of one of the 1200 euros, was hoping for at least 600,000 euros beyond. “The athletes funded by the sports aid strengthen as role models for performance, fair play and together our democracy,” said Max Hartung, who started his work as a member of the sports aid board this week.
Sports aid wants to speak with the city of Frankfurt for a remaining cooperation with the city of Frankfurt. With Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) she comes across open ears. With a wink, he said with reference to a trampoline demonstration as part of the evening, in which Springer ripped up twelve meters to the dome of the festival hall: “Here you can also jump higher than in Wiesbaden. So it was right to return to Frankfurt, ”said Josef, who competed with the European figure skating champion Minerva Hase. Seriously, Josef emphasized the value of sport for society. “My highlight is on the ball year after year when all athletes go on stage with all their different life stories. Sport creates one thing: empathy for different life situations. The values in sports one. I wish that for politics too. ” It is now the focus again on Sunday, after a intoxicated ball night.
