Off to the swimming action: Special Olympics Thuringia celebrate top performances in Jena!

Off to the swimming action: Special Olympics Thuringia celebrate top performances in Jena!

In a few weeks, the Jena swimming paradise will be the venue for a special event: the 13th Special Olympics state swimming competition will take place from September 18th to 19th, 2025. There is already great anticipation as athletes from all over Thuringia are preparing for this important competition, which serves as qualification for the 2026 National Games in Saarland. Competitions begin on Thursday, September 18th at 8:30 a.m. and continue until Friday, September 19th at 4:30 p.m [stadtwerke-jena.de].

Last year, 180 athletes took part in the competitions, proving that swimming is a universal language of joy and sport. The disciplines range from individual to relay swimming, with participants competing in various strokes such as breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. This year, a large number of athletes are expected to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in front of an audience, according to information from jenatv.de.

A celebration for everyone

Visitors are warmly invited to watch the competitions live and cheer on the athletes. However, there are important tips to ensure everything runs smoothly: On Wednesday, September 17th, preparation for the Special Olympics will take place from 7:00 p.m. The swimming paradise will be closed to the public during the competitions on Thursday and Friday, as well as on Saturday, September 20th, for the triathlon competition. On Sunday, September 21st, the swimming pool will be available to everyone again.

But the competition is more than just a sporting event. It shows how important inclusion is in water sports. Many children with mental or physical disabilities often cannot easily take part in swimming courses. Here, water sports offer a special opportunity for exercise and participation that is sometimes restricted on land. However, appropriate training and awareness-raising for trainers is needed so that these barriers to swimming lessons can be reduced. The German Swimming Association supports this initiative and is actively committed to improving inclusion in swimming, as described in detail in dsv.de.

An inspiring perspective

Numerous role models in para-swimming, such as Taliso Engel or Maike Naomi Schwarz, show that a disability is not an obstacle to sporting success. Their achievements inspire not only children, but also coaches and clubs to make swimming courses more inclusive and provide a positive signal in society. This commitment is crucial to actively promote the acceptance and participation of people with disabilities.

In less than three weeks it will be exciting again in Jena when athletes from different regions and with different talents compete against each other in a fair competition. Don't miss the opportunity to be there live and cheer on our athletes!