German prosthesis long jump player seeking exceptional participation in the Tokyo Olympics

It turns out that the German Olympic Federation has asked the IOC = International Olympic Committee to allow Markus Rehm, a track and field and long jump prosthesis class player who has won gold medals in the Paralympics for the second time in a row, to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. ..

Germany's Laem, who jumps with a prosthesis, is the top athlete who won the gold medal in two consecutive Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro in the Paralympic track and field and long jump.

It turns out that the German Olympic Federation has exceptionally asked the IOC to participate in the Tokyo Olympics separately from the general athletes.

"I want to create an example for a society that accepts people with disabilities and parasports. I want to participate not to compete for medals, but to fight discrimination and to realize diversity," explained Laem as a reason for aiming for the Olympics. doing.

Last month, Laem set a new world record for Para, 8 meters and 62 centimeters, which surpassed the record of the gold medalist at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last time by 24 centimeters.

In the previous tournament, Laem aimed to participate in the Olympics, but was unable to participate because he was pointed out that his prosthesis might be working in his favor.

If allowed, this will be the second time a prosthetic leg player will be on land at the Olympic Games since former South African Oscar Pistorius at the London Olympic Games.

What is Markus Rehm?

Markus Rehm, who holds the world record in the long jump prosthetist class on land, is 32 years old from Germany.

At the age of 14, he lost his right knee in an accident while practicing wakeboarding, and at the age of 20, he resumed the long jump that he had been working on when he was in elementary school.

At the Paralympics, he won the gold medal in two consecutive long jumps, the London 2012 Games and the Rio de Janeiro Games 2016, and became known as the "Blade Jumper".

Since then, he has frequently set the world record for Para, and on the 1st of last month, he set a new world record of 8 meters and 62 centimeters.

This is less than 33 centimeters below the world record for healthy people, 8 meters and 95 centimeters, but 24 centimeters higher than the record for gold medalists at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.