Berlin is in anticipation

14. June 2023 - From 17 to 25 June 2023, around 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities will take part in the largest multi-sport event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games: the Special Olympics World Games 2023. With the help of 22,000 volunteers who provide visible support as well as behind the scenes, the capital will once again present itself as a sports metropolis with enthusiasm, hospitality, and charisma at this event. Under the motto #ZusammenUnschlagbar (Together Unbeatable), it's all about the unifying power of sport.

It will start with the grand opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday 17 June, during which the "Flame of Hope" will also arrive in the Olympic Stadium; it was already lit in Athens on 7 June. The torch is seen as the symbol of strength and the vision of the Special Olympics to bring greater awareness and participation to people with intellectual and multiple disabilities. The athletes from 190 countries belong to a minority: only eight percent of people with intellectual disabilities have access to sport at all That is exactly why the games in the German capital are so important.

On the occasion of the Special Olympics World Games, Berlin Partner press spokesman Lukas Breitenbach invited the national managing director and co-organiser Sven Albrecht as a guest for his monthly podcast. The conversation will focus on the following questions, among others: What is it like to host one of the world's largest sporting events with and in Berlin? What will the people of Berlin take away from the games? Where do we stand in the capital about inclusion and how can companies benefit and learn from such events in the long term?