International sports events bring nations closer together. This also applies to the return flight - especially in economy class. Mathias Mester was just quoted by the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper, saying he had no problems with leg room. It looks like the athletes as well as the media are in a good mood. Of course as we were standing in the aisles of the jumbo stretching our legs, we didn't know that our flight - unlike the one three hours later (see news for September 19) - would have the big advantage of arriving at its destination on time. Luckily the crew was also caught up in the enthusiasm of the Paralympics: Stewardesses collected autographs from medal winners and the pilot said farewell with best wishes for the preparations for London 2012.

It was an enjoyable, entertaining 10-hour flight on which half the passengers were Chinese in addition to athletes from Germany, Croatia, Poland and other countries as well as part of the Otto Bock team. You can never tell for sure though, since the passenger wearing the Canadian outfit seemed rather Austrian to me. But what does it matter anyway? In a way this was a continuation of the closing ceremonies in the "Bird's Nest", where athletes from all over the world got together as a colorful throng in a stadium where Paralympics history was made.

The closing ceremonies were broadcast on television in so many countries, and even rescheduled as a synopsis during broadcast times with higher audience ratings in Germany, that I don't need to describe them here. Maybe it would be more interesting to see what is being discussed on the sidelines and printed in many daily newspapers today. Tenor: "London will have to work hard if it wants to top these Beijing events."

This is probably mainly intended as a well-deserved compliment for China. To the joy of the audience, IPC president Sir Philip Craven commenced his expression of gratitude in Chinese and addressed each of the venues Hong Kong, Qingdao and Beijing in turn before ending with a "Thank you China". But surely it cannot be the purpose of the best games ever to cast doubt on the future? London was allowed eight minutes to present itself at the closing ceremonies. However, the British organization committee was permitted to spend a lot more time gathering useful information behind the scenes during the Paralympics - in close cooperation with, for example, the management of the Paralympic Village. The Chinese had a similar presence in Athens, allowing them to avoid mistakes by getting a first-hand perspective. The Paralympics have reached a new level and attained a hitherto unequalled measure of public attention around the world. Surely this can only elate the English as they make their plans, rather than worrying them. The hundreds of performers who formed the image of a giant envelope carried a message of good tidings. A key symbol of this message is the Paralympic flame, which was now passed from Beijing's mayor Guo Jinlong to Sir Craven and from him to London's mayor Boris Johnson.    

I expect this column to end with part 2 of Lassane Gasbeogo's story. A fine conclusion to the series, I believe. There is a general atmosphere of departure. Zhen Xiaozhen from the organization committee BOCOG has just signed the documents stating which materials were issued to athletes and what is available to the BOCOG for subsequent use. This means the workshop is practically closed.

While that seems easy to say, it is accompanied by powerful emotions for many of us here. Let's just put it this way: This workshop and the team of technicians was the very best Otto Bock could contribute to the success of the Paralympics.

Just now Joy, Gunter and I were somewhere in this seemingly limitless city, 30 minutes by taxi from the Paralympic Village. Yes, we were looking for souvenirs (dear Doro, I am very much looking forward to tomorrow; unfortunately it just so happens that all of the stores in Beijing are closed today ;-)).

We were really far too tired for shopping, since we happened to land in a disco last night along with some of the medal winners - although I don't know if they want me to identify them by name. Wearing their medals, they were of course stars on the dance floor as well. 

A disco in Beijing is really not much different from a disco in Berlin, Bombay or Barbados. Sure, there are some peculiarities. Since I know that older people are treated with extreme respect in China, it was with mixed feelings that I noted how others let me go first at the entrance to the disco.

I believe my gentle readers have now waited long enough for the wonderful second part of the story of Lassane Gasbeogo from Burkina Faso. Part 1 has already been told: Our technicians at the race course wondered about the vehicle the athlete intended to drive at the Paralympics. (Viktor Helfer: "There is no way the hand bike would have made it through another round.")

Part 2 starts out with an offer for help from the French, who made one of their hand bikes available to him for the race. This was observed by the athletes from the USA, who came up with a great idea. They plan to collect sports equipment and accessories in the USA. US coach James Lehman and the mechanic Chad Contreras were in the Otto Bock workshop today to meet the delegation from Burkina Faso, which only includes a single athlete - Lassane Gasbeogo, that is. "His family is incredibly proud of him, and has already sent congratulations by e-mail," says the leader of the mission Annick Lydie Pikbougoum. She works as a director for competitive sports in the national ministry for sports in Burkina Faso, and appears confident that the import of donated sports equipment will go smoothly. The material will be sent out with support from - point of honor - Otto Bock.

This story is significant for the farewell from Beijing since it illustrates the sustained impact these games can have - and hopefully will have. Next year at the hand bike world championships in Spain, the Americans will have a better-equipped competitor in Lassane Gasbeogo from Burkina Faso. "This is good for the sport, and it is a good thing that the sport has this kind of atmosphere," said James Lehman.  I cannot think of better closing words from Beijing. 

Our prosthetics specialists paid especially close attention to the long jump final in the "Bird's Nest" this morning. Naturally, so did I. After all, the field was a who's who of recent Paralympics long jump history. Roberto la Barbera and Stefano Lippi from Italy, Jeff Skiba (USA), the two Germans Wojtek Czyz and Heinrich Popow, the Brazilian Oliviera and so on and so forth. In addition, about half of the competitors had their carbon springs optimized in the Otto Bock workshop earlier, in some cases just two days before the final. Urs Kolly from Switzerland even had several prostheses custom-fitted after his positive experience with the new knee settings on his jumping prosthesis. It would be nice if this encouraged him to once again compete at the London games in 2012.

So I got the camera from the workshop office and headed for the athletes' shuttle bus. On the way I met Daniel Arnold. He was headed for another bus going to the table tennis arena, where "someone has to cheer" for the German ladies in the tough final against China, as Daniel said. Track and field athletes Astrid Höfte, Andrea Hegen, Matthias Mester, Frank Tinnemeier and Jörg Frischmann were already waiting at the stop for the bus to the "Bird's Nest". Since they have their competitions behind them and are now just acting as a fan club, they were correspondingly relaxed.

I certainly don't want to make those jealous who have to stand in line outside the stadium. But traveling in the athletes' bus, which is simply waved through all security checkpoints and then drives right into the catacombs of the national stadium, is the ultimate in comfort and saves a lot of time. Due to large-scale street closures, even taking a taxi to the stadium still requires at least 20 minutes of walking until you get to your seat in the stadium.

An elevator runs from the catacombs to the six spectator levels. While security and service staff are out in force, their demeanor is discreet and friendly. Without any discussion, they let me sit in the front row which is otherwise reserved for the trainers of long jump and track and field athletes. And what do you know, our prosthetists have also decided to camp out there. It certainly makes a difference being that close to the action, perhaps ten meters away from the long jump pit.

The long jump is the first competition of the day. While the stadium is only half full at the outset, the crowd grows to more than 80,000 within half an hour. And that on a Tuesday morning. Beijing is still caught up in the excitement of the Paralympics.
    
The lower ranks are in a great mood today. However, the long jump competition really cannot be the cause since it is not particularly exciting. With the world record jump of 6.50 meters by Wojtek Czyz on the first attempt, the preliminary decision was quickly made. As with all of the many world records set in this stadium, the Chinese celebrate the athlete no matter what country he or she comes from. Fears raised before the Paralympics that the hosts alone would set a slew of new records proved to be unfounded. The Paralympics as international Chinese championships? You really cannot say that. The broad-based increase in performance among top international athletes has continued at these games. Wojtek did his part with the emotional explosions he is known for in such situations.

Due to the point conversion process in the joint competition with transfemoral amputees, athletes with transtibial amputations would have to make incredible jumps of over seven meters in order to come close to Wojtek. After three violations, Heinrich Popow was forced to prematurely bury the dream for a second medal. Almost half of all jumps in this competition were disallowed, which illustrates just how difficult it really is to hit the bar precisely with a prosthesis.

Reducing the number of medal decisions is unavoidable. But the discussion about conversion procedures and transparency for the audience is sure to continue after these Paralympics.

While everyone here is looking forward to the closing ceremonies on September 17 in Beijing, organizers in London have long since started planning. Piers Jones, sports manager for the 2012 Paralympics, was just here to ask about space requirements for technical service. In many ways, the games in Beijing have set the bar high for future organizers. Spectators and athletes can frequently be seen wearing "Thank you, Beijing" T-shirts as of late. Unless something really unexpected happens, these will surely be the best games ever.

Packing was mentioned for the first time last night. On the one hand, that seems a little early. After all, the games do not end until after the closing ceremonies this Wednesday. On the other hand, timely planning for the trip back is probably justified. Many are going home with more than they took along on the flight to Beijing. Kirsten Bruhn for example. How will the five medals she collected in the "Water Cube" affect the weight of her carry-on luggage? After all, each of these medals is quite heavy. We had the privilege of briefly holding some of them here in the Otto Bock workshop. In addition to her two silver medals, Natalie Simanowski has also packed both her racing cycles for the flight. What will remain of the Paralympics here in Beijing?

Taxis for the disabled, for example. Xiu Guiqing operates one of these. The fact that their appearance is reminiscent of the British taxi design is no coincidence. They were converted for use by the disabled in a taxi factory in Eastern China. The vehicles from automaker Austin are enriching traffic in Beijing. Not only because wheelchair drivers can now comfortably travel by taxi. They are also the only taxis that can be ordered by telephone around here. Fares are identical to those for other taxis. Xiu Guiqing tells us there is no charge for the incoming trip during the Paralympics.

He received a month of supplementary training in order to learn the details of transporting people with disabilities. Xiu also took a course in speaking English. Now he has been operating the taxi for a government-run taxi company for a month. "I'm seeing between one and three trips with wheelchair drivers per day," he says, illustrating that word of the service still needs to get around. The number of people with disabilities in Beijing is estimated at around one million. However, this figure only includes relatively severe disabilities. Otherwise, the number out of a population of 16 million people in China's third-largest city would be even higher.

The driver says there are 30 of these English taxis in Beijing. Ten panel vans are also equipped to transport the disabled, as well as 50 to 60 VW Santanas from the 3000 series.

Something else that will remain in Beijing is most of the equipment from the Otto Bock workshop. The organization committee BOCOG will ensure that the machines and tools go where they can do the most good. Tomorrow I hope to have concrete details regarding another transfer of technology. Our technicians at the racetrack reported that hand-bikers from the USA want to support the sole competitor from Burkina Faso in Central Africa. This Paralympics story illustrates that our workshop has become a hub for sustained multicultural contact. And that is another legacy of these Paralympics.

Karin Evers-Meyer, German Federal Disability Officer, enjoyed a quick tour of the workshop during her visit about an hour ago. Before she immortalized herself on the signature board, she said something we can only agree with whole-heartedly: "If something like this did not exist, it would have to be invented."

PS: Our warmest thanks to Johnny Ehrling for the interview with Xiu Guiqing!

There is a full moon in Beijing, and the Chinese say to expect a delay of several hours if you want to rent a rowboat on one of the lakes in the area. While I had no plans to do so, I now have a good excuse to end the evening without this kind of sports activity. Instead, I plan to cause confusion among my colleagues tonight with the following question: When there is a full moon in Beijing, does that also apply to my small village in Germany or to, say, South Dakota?

It just so happened that we had an Australia Day in the Otto Bock workshop, as well as an Austria Day, a Netherlands Day and a Switzerland Day. But the Paralympics are not really about nationalities, are they? This is why today's column is dedicated to International Women's Day in Beijing, which I have hereby invented (sorry Heinrich, of course today is also your day!). But that was already covered in the news.

Mindy Tan has just left the village. She is a researcher and photographer for The New Paper in Singapore. And what a photographer! She turns photography into a sport with high standards of flexibility. The picture shown here merely hints at what is involved. Natalie Simanowski made an interesting comment in this regard, to the effect that the demands on media representatives at these Paralympics are much higher than they were in the past. "They really have to work hard." While the number of journalists is not much higher than it was in Athens 2004, newspapers in the mostly faraway home countries are looking for significantly more material. This in turn reaches the athletes here in Beijing quickly in the age of the internet. "Simply amazing, all this media activity," says Natalie in reference to the newspaper clippings on the pin board in the accommodations for the German team. Among them are plenty of reports about Natalie's journey to win two silver medals.

Mindy from Singapore also had a compliment. "I think it's great what you are doing here. One can see how incredibly dedicated your technicians are." She talked for a long time with Andreas Radspieler and - the power of women again - Anne Bott. More about that in today's news. Katrin Green is also among the women of the day. What does that mean, a "thankless fourth-place finish"? In a race she finished two-tenths of a second behind gold medal winner April Holmes, one-tenth of a second behind Marie-Amelie le Fur from France and Juan Wang from China who were awarded silver and bronze based on the finish-line photo. An incredibly dramatic sprinting final.

Things usually get quiet outside the workshop around this time. But now we have a visitor all of us were really looking forward to, although he was actually announced for tomorrow: Baatarjav Dambadondog, the first Paralympic gold medal winner from Mongolia as we have just learned from his coach. He did it with his new lower leg prosthesis. "Thank you, Otto Bock," he said. Since he speaks no other English, I assume he's been practicing. 

Never fear, my thread on the power of women was only briefly interrupted by this late-breaking news item. I would also like to point out that the video of our excursion to the Great Wall of China is wending its way through the global network and will take correspondingly long to arrive. But we are confident that the transmission will be complete well before the closing ceremonies on Wednesday, so that the video will be available on this page before the ladies' wheelchair basketball final on Monday, September 15 at 9:30 pm local time in Beijing.

We can look forward to great ratings; when the final between the USA and Germany starts, people in the USA will be enjoying breakfast and TV while Germany should hold a national coffee break. At least that is what we are hoping for as we root for our medal-winning ladies' team. The final quarter in the semi-final against Japan, which was hairy for quite some time, led to an outstanding 60:40 victory. I ask for your understanding that even we, as employees of an international company, cannot remain entirely impartial and have, in all fairness, openly documented this with a photo.

Who else should be mentioned in this column on the power of women?  Maybe the Chinese lady who collects the breakfast coupons in the morning. Since I never need a coupon to have breakfast back home, I once again forgot mine back in my room. "No problem," she said. "Please go inside." And so we come full circle, since I am now going inside to send a few more photos. I just hope the video left enough available bandwidth.

Video of Walter [wmv | 1,5 MB]

As promised, the match between Germany and the Netherlands was clearly decided in favor of Simone & Co. - a decisive 43:28 victory and a spot in the semi-finals against Japan. Today, representatives from Japan and Switzerland faced each other in a different sort of meeting not involving baskets. Or rather, they stood next to each other. Keiichi Tsukishiro and Walter Grubenmann. Walter said he was homesick. In response - hang on to your hats - Keiichi did some yodeling for him. Divine. Afterwards Walter said he felt much better. I wonder if Keiichi knows that his success in yodeling will cause him all kinds of stress over the next few evenings? Everyone will want him to yodel. Even we Lower Saxons, who usually distance ourselves from yodeling. Speaking of Walter: The video of his C-Leg trip on the Great Wall of China is coming. But not today, since the folks with the camera happen to be working at outlying sports events. And there is no question: The work comes first!

In my case, that means responding to media requests. Right now I'm allowing myself to be distracted; Heinrich Popow, who will be competing in the 100-meter final tomorrow at 11:00 am (local time in Beijing) has just sat down at my table. "Matthias Schröder will win gold today, that's my inside tip," he says. Since it is the day before his final, I ask for your understanding that I chose not to interview him further. What he needs is rest and relaxation; sure enough, he is already sitting in the SuperFour.

So back to talking about media. After we met in the "Bird's Nest", China correspondent of the Welt newspaper Johnny Ehrling did some research in the workshop. With 10 years of experience in China, he had much to tell about the country and its people. Stephen McDonell from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was filming with his crew here today, and Radio China also dropped by. The preconceived notion that learning Chinese is impossible was refuted along the way. Both Johnny Ehrling and Stephen McDonell speak it fluently. Of course, so does the reporter from Radio China.

A topic always brought up by media representatives is the Olympic dream of Oscar Pistorius, who is considered a shoo-in for the gold medal at the Paralympics in the 200 meters tonight. He is rightfully regarded as an anomaly at the pinnacle of Paralympic achievement. But that is the way with anomalies - they are the exception. Since he had both lower legs amputated as a young child, he is able to walk more normally on his prostheses than one would think possible. They are practically his legs. He first learned to walk with the prostheses and continued to perfect this skill. He is also very talented and extremely enthusiastic about sports, enjoyed a supportive environment from the outset and has the ability to remain an entirely normal person in spite of all the media hype. I expect the 95,000 spectators in the national stadium will pay tribute to him today. The stadium will likely be sold out again. It was filled to two-thirds capacity by 10:00 am, and people were standing in line at the entrances.

It is hard to believe the popularity of the Paralympics here in Beijing. Of course the many gold medal winners from the host country earned the most applause. That would be the same anywhere. But today in the 5000-meter final, even the last competitor who crossed the finish line two minutes behind everyone else was celebrated as a winner. And he was from Brazil. The Paralympics are coming to an end with the closing ceremonies on Wednesday, and many believe they will be unforgettable and have a lasting impact on China and the world.

My personal results service just reported that the team from the Netherlands is beating our German Ladies' Basketball team 8:4, so we are a bit worried. But the bonus victory against the favorites from Australia in the preliminary round, in which the ladies kept their nerve to successfully win an extremely tough game, gives me confidence that I will be able to announce their advance to the semi-final by the end of this report. Another hour is sure to pass before the game ends, so I might catch part of the last quarter if I hurry up. After that, I plan to see what's happening in the IPC lounge.

Having spent two weeks in the workshop, any change of scenery is appealing. Our team of technicians has already handled around 1,600 jobs. This is frequently accompanied by delightful meetings, such as the one today with a trio from Switzerland: Urs Kolly, Benedikt Sturny and Walter Grubenmann.

Urs Kolly is one of the most experienced and prominent multidisciplinary athletes, and was the first to use his prosthesis as the takeoff leg in the long jump. Today this has become the rule. Urs is looking forward to an exciting final with a field that includes world record holder Wojtek Czyz.

Like Urs Kolly, Benedikt Sturny trains with TSV Düdingen but is far less well known - which deserves further explanation. Benedikt is a runner's attendant. He runs beside blind athletes, allowing them to compete in sports. This requires a trusting relationship. Runner's attendants are not included in the winner's roster. They aren't even looking for that, since they consider it their job to help the athlete. In the ideal case, they need to have a larger amount of reserve energy since they cannot run at their own speed; they need to adapt to the pace that is best for the blind athlete. Since runner's attendants are forgotten heroes at the Paralympics, I decided to mention Benedikt as one of their representatives in an attempt to rectify this situation.

At the Paralympics Walter Grubenmann is not in demand at the starting line, but in the Otto Bock workshop. But not only there. This morning I attended an excursion to the Great Wall of China with the late shift, a decision I felt was justified since I am also pulling something like a late shift. I believe just about everyone is familiar with the breathtaking scenery from photos. What surprised me is how steep some sections of this 6,000 kilometer long structure are, which is said to be visible on the surface of the earth as seen from the moon. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find anyone to confirm this assertion. So let us assume it is true. If not, at least it is an inventive story.

Out of the 6,000 kilometers, we became intimately familiar with perhaps 8 or 9 grueling ones today. Since Walter covered this distance with a C-Leg, he has certainly earned the right to be counted among the athletic people. "I never found it as valuable as I did today," he said on the way back. Some sections are so steep that people who are afraid of heights - people like me - try to avoid looking too far ahead. Just take it one step at a time...

Since we are among prosthetists, it is only natural that the question regarding the battery capacity of the C-Leg was raised in advance. After all, one of the many advantages of the microprocessor-controlled system during everyday use is that it works in a similar fashion as a knee joint with friction brake should the power supply fail. You would have to ask the technicians for a more detailed explanation. In any case, having to make do without the dynamic features of the C-Leg while hiking on the Great Wall of China - anything but an everyday activity - would be quite problematic. But Walter is more than just a fan of the C-Leg, he is also a prosthetist and did of course check the battery capacity.

One of the team members took a video as our Swiss native descended the stairs. It really is something to see. Maybe we can get it posted on the Beijing homepage.

So now the score is 27:26 for Germany against the Netherlands. This bit of news was brought to me by Gunter, who just arrived at the hall. "It's going to be close," so he says. I believe it will be a clear victory. And hereby say farewell until tomorrow.

Darkness has long since fallen, and I am running late as I write the daily report from the Otto Bock workshop. The hour is drawing near when it is important to know which restaurants in the city are still serving food. Luckily the canteen here in the Paralympic Village knows no such limits. They also offer the combination of knife and fork, which still significantly speeds up my food intake compared to the chopsticks typically used in this country.

On the other hand the temperature should be close to a pleasant 25 degrees, and at 9:30 pm local time no less. The terrace outside the workshop is nearly deserted. So it might be nice to just sit here and go over the events of the day.

One of the four orthopedic technicians from Australia who were helping me provide John Weaver from the news agency AFP with editorial support earlier today is taking a few minutes to relax. Then he goes back to the workbench. His shift doesn't end until 11:00 pm. A wheelchair driver from Mexico seems to enjoy the quiet atmosphere out here. Or maybe he is just waiting for a tire replacement. Couples are sitting at two of the tables, chatting in Spanish as far as I can tell.

This afternoon, Lars Gewel from ARD Online experienced an unusually quiet hour in the workshop. It is quite interesting how a journalist attending the Paralympics live for the first time describes the experience. It reminds me a lot of my debut in Athens 2004. One quickly feels that these games have a special atmosphere. And it also doesn't take long to figure out why that may be. But it makes a big difference whether you are working on a budding idea in your head or trying to draft a text from it, especially if it's for public broadcasting. Or a television report like the Austrian television team yesterday, who had Gunter Schumann to tell them why all of us are here in the first place.

Between two press meetings today, I suddenly ran into April Holmes who was just coming from the workshop. Good news: She is highly motivated for the 100-meter final on Saturday and believes her fall has not caused any significant problems. She says she was extremely lucky, takes off her sunglasses and I see the injury on her eyelid. The spikes of runner Le Fur, who tripped over her, could have easily caused much more severe damage.

She does not begrudge Katrin Green the gold medal. The two of them know each other well and have been in regular contact for years. All of the other competitors in the final also helped the leading favorite after her fall. "We are all friends," says April Holmes. Not a bad answer to the question what makes the atmosphere here so special.

It also defines the mood within the workshop team. Since everyone wants to see more of Beijing than the workbenches, spare parts inventory, hotel and a knife and fork, there was a delightful change of pace this morning: An excursion into the Forbidden City for the late shift.

It was a pleasant, merry group and the output of photos should number in the hundreds. Some of the shots show the interior of a store where the party stopped on the way back, offering nothing but silk products. It's not quite the same as one would expect from bus tours in Germany, after which you own a heating blanket which - at least currently in Beijing - nobody needs. There was far too much interesting information for that. Certainly the amount of respect for silkworms, who in a single cocoon produce a thread for further processing that is 1,500 meters in length, has increased considerably.

Walter is just returning from dinner with colleagues. "I ordered jellyfish for the entire party, but ended up eating the whole works myself." The only question is whether he used chopsticks or a knife and fork. When we arrived back at the workshop today at noon, a delegation was just about to depart. Since this happens frequently, it is rarely mentioned. But this delegation was from Vancouver. Initial drawings for a workshop at the 2010 Winter Paralympics have already been produced ...

Alexandra and Arne love doing puzzles. The two of them are especially fond of large puzzles. Now they are faced with a giant puzzle - a wheelchair disassembled into all of its components. It needs to be put back together as quickly as possible. Once this is achieved, the wheelchair will represent a fine specimen of medical technology cooperation between Germany and Australia. 

The wheelchair had to be entirely disassembled because one of the frame tubes was cracked halfway through. This model is made of titanium. Welding titanium requires special filler wire. Since I have never done any welding myself and orthopedic technicians tend to be very critical readers when it comes to technical details, I will refrain from delving deeper into the details of their craft.

Suffice to say that the workshop currently did not have the required filler wire in stock. What to do? Nick Morozoff, a technician from Australia, talked to his contacts on the Australian team. After all, it never hurts to ask. It turns out they did indeed have the required titanium filler wire on hand and provided some right away.

Small favors like that are usually not mentioned. However, they are a big reason for the pleasant atmosphere in the Paralympic Village. Every day, people are helping each other, expressing their sympathy and sometimes even sharing the pain of others across all nationalities and cultures.

Last night, the "Bird´s Nest" was packed with 91,000 spectators. Katrin Green from the USA won gold for Germany in the 200 meter final and said she was totally shocked as she reached the finish line. Her goal was 3rd place. She said that once she reached the half-way mark, she no longer saw anything but just ran. It was the second-best time she ever posted. But gold, that seemed like a rather far-fetched idea before the race. And it still looked that way about 30 meters before the finish line.

April Holms, world record holder from the USA, had a significant lead. Then she lost her balance and ultimately fell hard. In doing so, she crossed the path of Le Fur from France who also fell and unfortunately struck April Holmes in the face with her spikes. A terrible scene. At the finish Katrin Green was among the first to look after April Holmes. All the other competitors responded as well. The bad fall suffered by Marlon Shirley in the 100-meter final was similar. In severe pain, the US runner hopped across the finish line on his prosthesis since, as members of the US team stated today, he suffered a rupture of the Achilles tendon. The audience spontaneously responded with resounding applause in support of the athlete.

Oscar Pistorius from South Africa, who beat newcomer Jerome Singleton for the gold in an incredible finish, only accepted quick congratulations from the other competitors in the final and went right over to Marlon Shirley. Two bitter moments in these Paralympics, where two great athletes fell on the way to a medal, were followed by deeply moving emotional responses.

You might say it is the Paralympic spirit, international solidarity between athletes or simply humanity. Powerful emotions in a giant stadium. Harrowing and moving at the same time. But definitely unforgettable. One thing is for sure: Professional athletes have once again shown that they are fighting for medals with each other, not against each other. Way to go!

Today a whole series of events is competing to become the topic of this column. The decision was just made when Franziska´s cell phone rang. As a result, I can only briefly mention here that yesterday one of a hundred thousand volunteers presented me with the ultimate pin: A Chinese one that blinks like a disco when you push a little slider switch on the back. But now back to that ring tone.  

I know many of you are now waiting to hear about that ring tone on her cell phone. But first I have to tell you what happened last night. Franziska, two other students involved in the newspaper project and I were on the press stand in the "Bird´s Nest" watching the new Australian Christine Wolf winning gold in the broad jump. The presentation ceremony took place just 25 meters from where we were sitting. One could almost have counted Christine´s tears. After all, there were´t really that many. This was also exciting for Franziska, insofar that Christine Wolf had been the first athlete she met in person after arriving at the Otto Bock workshop.  And now this athlete is suddenly standing at the top of the rostrum right in front of us.

This was followed by the 100m qualifying rounds with US stars Marlon Shirley, Brian Frasure and Jerome Singleton, all of whom have already been introduced as workshop visitors on www.ottobock-in-beijing.com. Also running in the same classification, although unlike the others he is a bilateral transtibial amputee: Oscar Pistorius. Truly a world class field of athletes.

Media representatives in Beijing are currently scrambling for an interview with Pistorius. He can be seen on every TV channel. But the three teens from the Paralympic newspaper are anything but timid. They work out a few questions for the press conference while on the press stand and then take off. Will that work? Of course, because Oscar Pistorius is not only a great athlete but also a gentleman, graciously answering all their questions. I wonder what ring tone the South African uses.

He won his preliminary heat in clearly the best time, but Marlon Shirley ran very casually in the other qualifying run, let Brian Frasure go and merely made sure he got into the finals.  The final is this evening at 6 pm (local time): Don´t miss it, it is sure to be a track-and-field highlight in Beijing.


This is so exciting one could almost forget about the ring tone. Incidentally, my new friend Mamy also likes the music Franziska selected for her cell phone.  Mamy is the medical attendant of the sole Paralympics competitor from Madagascar: Josefa Harijaona, national champion in 50m swimming and, as of today, wearer of a modern prosthesis that replaces his old aluminum and leather model.

The world seems smaller here in the Paralympic Village. The young journalists of the Paralympics Zeitung are prepared for this. Franziska has already been to Beijing as part of a Berlin school exchange program, Berlin being Beijing?s German partner city. She speaks enough Chinese to ensure she will not have the same taxi problems I had.  This generation certainly travels the world at an early age. My younger daughter, whose name by the way is also Franziska, has just started a year in South Dakota ("Hallo Franzi, alles klar?").

This generation even handles cell phone features with ease, much better than us forebears, who in years past marveled at fax machines as though they were the pinnacle of communication technology. The Franziskas in Beijing and South Dakota even know how to set ring tones on our Finnish-designed Chinese cell phones.

Beijing-Franziska's ring tone is not just a favorite with novice guitarists, it is also contemporary history: "Smoke on the Water". This even delights Walter, our Swiss prosthetist. After all, we all know that "Smoke on the Water" was played in Montreux back then, where Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention ? well okay, I guess now I am getting too far off track. I also just spoke to Mamy Andrianaly about Franziska's ring tone. "Oh, I like it, Deep Purple, this is our generation!" But it is also Franziska´s generation. Which proves that not just cultures come closer together here in the village, but also teens and wrinklies.

For children in Baden-Württemberg, the new school year started on Monday, September 8. This information may appear surprising here at first glance, since it doesn´t sound as though it has anything to do with the Paralympics. But that is not so. With the end of summer vacation, the Emmendingen school for girls and boys with physical disabilities in the Black Forest has a new name: "Esther-Weber School". The name Esther Weber and the Paralympics? There is no way to separate those two.

Esther Weber has already assumed responsibility for several educational projects and mobility training for children at the Emmendingen school. But what is it like, walking into a school that bears your own name? "Having this school named after me is a very special honor," says Esther Weber, who was selected by the students, teachers and parents with a large majority. "I want to help handicapped students, and am hoping for support and cooperation from politics and commerce so that these students will have the opportunity for the most independent, fulfilled lives possible even after they complete their education!"

Having a public school named after you is a rare honor, recognizing a great personality and popular figure in recent Paralympics history. Esther Weber has so many athletic accomplishments to her name and has earned so many awards, she has long since run out of room on her autograph card: Gold in individual epee fencing, Barcelona 1992 as well as two silver medals in team competition (Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000). Bronze in individual foil fencing in 1992 and 1996, bronze in team competition in 1996 and 2000, and another individual silver medal in Sydney.
 
The 18-time German champion won over 20 additional medals at the world and European championships. Three times she was awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf as Germany's highest award for sports achievement. 1992 Female Athlete of the Year in Freiburg, four-time Baden Athlete of the Year between 1996 and 2000, 2004 Prize for Tolerance and Fair Play awarded by the Federal Minister of the Interior and presented by Rosi Mittermaier-Neureuther at Paralympics Night.  

Former representative of wheelchair fencers and a member of the executive committee of the German Olympic Society, instructor for the Baden-Württemberg project "Disabled Helping the Able-Bodied", participation in several church congresses and involvement in the Evangelical Church & Sport Workgroup. Last but not least: Esther Weber has been a representative of Otto Bock HealthCare since 1993.  

The entire Otto Bock team in Beijing would like to send their warmest greetings and sincere congratulations to Esther Weber!

Is there anyone who does not remember Li Yue? Eleven-year-old ballet dancer, earthquake victim from Sichuan, with her left leg amputated ever since? She has long since been regarded a hero in China. Now she is known to the world and has become a girl that puts a face to the fate of thousands of children. The world is forgetful and needs such memorable people. While the fabulous opening ceremonies in the "Bird's Nest" were filled with highlights, the girl in the wheelchair can be considered a dramaturgical focal point around whom the entire choreography revolved.

Of course, here in the workshop in the Paralympic Village, it isn't possible to tell whether the opening ceremonies came across on TV the same way as they did for us "live" in the stadium. Perhaps it was not as noticeable on television that the long waiting time for athletes criticized in Athens was thankfully reduced significantly in the catacombs of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing. The seemingly endless convoy of team buses arrived at the stadium at the same time as the buses for all other 90,000 visitors. Letting the teams march in early and witness the ceremonies, which in the end are intended for them, was exemplary.

What did the athletes say to these opening ceremonies? Caj Jinfen at the workshop reception desk talked to those who came with repair jobs today, from the Russian Alexey Ashapatov to the Briton Keiron Murphy to Dorn Shaziri from Israel. The response: Fantastic opening ceremonies. What I liked most of all: The fireworks display was a splendid, imposing finale but also ended while it was still a fabulous gala rather than becoming a spectacle.  

You might even say: Nobody was surprised that the Chinese organizers are able to pull off a mega-show. But creativity and emotion remained the essence of these opening ceremonies, awaked by perfectionism rather than being smothered by it.

After leaving the national stadium, I walked back a good half hour in order to let the entire experience sink in. In the vicinity of the press office, athletes were heading for the buses on their way home accompanied by applause and cheers from volunteers and passers-by. These opening ceremonies created a spark and were, in the words of IPC president Sir Philip Craven, "inspiring".

By the way, Katarina Witt also came to Beijing on Saturday in order to attend the opening ceremonies. On Tuesday the ZDF (Second German Television) is filming a segment here on the relief action of the Otto Bock Foundation, supported by the Katarina Witt Foundation, for the benefit of children that fell victim to natural disasters in China and Burma. Children like Li Yue.

In between the two photo sessions with Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure, Cameron - one of the Australians on the workshop team - provided a bit of insight into the more exotic aspects of prosthetics.

An athlete from Madagascar had just come to him with a contraption made of aluminum and leather, which looked a bit like a knight's armor and was indicative of corresponding limited mobility. The athlete really just wanted the foot section reattached since it had come loose. As Cameron thought the chances of a successful repair were slim, he offered to make him a new prosthesis. No, no said the African, he couldn't possibly afford that - and then was overjoyed to learn that the service wouldn't cost him a penny.

So on one side, we have the high-tech products of top US sprinters shooting for 11 seconds in the 100 meters in spite of transtibial amputations. On the other side we have improvisation "Made in Madagascar" just to participate in the games at all. And perceptible doubts that anyone anywhere in this world would really do anything for free. Equal opportunity? Merely an assertion. As a result, the prosthetists in the Paralympics workshop must be able to respond to a wide variety of human experience and backgrounds in addition to possessing versatile technical skills.

Cameron recently made a very interesting statement to the Australian press. The question was why he found it so fascinating to participate in this multicultural team of technicians. In response, he explained to the journalists that orthopedics usually offers a variety of possible solutions. The Australians do many things differently than the Europeans, the Asians or the Americans. He said he found it "extremely fascinating" to work with colleagues from 19 countries and to be involved in discussions regarding the best approach in concrete cases. In the end, it's not always possible to reach a consensus. But one thing seems to be the same in all countries: The motivation of prosthetists to help the person in front of them to the best of their ability.

Surely this is an important factor that, almost from day one, helped the group develop that team spirit you need in order to handle a volume of jobs which has now reached up to 180 repairs per day. So I don't consider it good news that Cameron will be leaving tomorrow. He only remarked on that briefly and probably didn't want to say anything more about it. Of course all of that was planned and agreed in advance. New technicians are flying in today, while others are going home tomorrow. For some, the opening ceremonies will be a huge farewell party.

Today is the seventh day for all those who arrived in time for the opening of the Paralympic Village on Saturday. And the seventh day is a day of rest. This is what the bible says. Confucius or at least Mao have probably said similar things. The core message is applicable across cultures.

But knowing what you are supposed to do is not the same as knowing how to do it. For the Thuringian workshop contingent, rest was not easy to come by last night. Instead they were still merrily welding torch brackets for the wheelchairs well after midnight.

Tino is one of the Thuringians, and happens to be sitting three tables away on the terrace. He is nibbling on an exotic treat, like a chocolate bar or something along those lines. As he does so, he looks off into the distance or maybe into nothingness, absorbed in thought until Gernot, the bundle of energy from Greater Berlin comes hurrying from the workshop and calls to him: "Tino, have you seen the orthosis?" He has. They briefly discuss all the required repairs before they both disappear behind the door marked "Staff Only". By the way, I have an appointment with the two of them after their shift to compile photos for newspapers in their respective home towns. So the technicians are also involved in media relations.

Countless young volunteers at these Paralympics seem to be just as resilient. But they also have an ace up their sleeve: They sleep. Probably at night. But also during the day. Time and time again, you see volunteers sleeping in some of the numerous quiet corners around here. They sleep lying on benches. But they also sleep sitting up, mostly in their cafeteria. The two favorite table sleeping techniques are illustrated in the photos of Caj Jinfen, who was kind enough to present the basic and advanced versions during her lunch break: In the basic version, one forearm is extended on the table to support the head. For advanced table sleepers, the forehead is rested on the table while the hands act as light barriers on either side. This allows the volunteers to sleep soundly, albeit briefly.

Today a kitchen helper joined the table sleepers in the canteen. Just as I was wondering if he would get in trouble should the chef happen to catch him, he woke up and strode briskly back into the kitchen. Were my thoughts about the risk to his career too loud? Peter Franzel from the workshop organization team told me that one of our drivers promptly took advantage of a 15-minute stop outside the EU embassy for a nap on the steering wheel. Come to a stop, allow the passengers to disembark, lower the head - all in one smooth motion.

It is said that Indian yogis get more rest in a few minutes of relaxation than we stressed-out westerners do in an entire night. Apparently the Chinese volunteers and drivers are able to do so just as well and just as quickly. I just had a wonderful idea: What if I push my laptop over to the left, extend my right arm, rest my head on it, close my eyes... just for five or ten minutes...

As I pointed out in the news, today is Australia Day. First the new Australian Christine, then the accreditation baby, and now also a very nice Australian journalist who will report on our four orthopedic technicians from down under. Of course the fact that Otto Bock Australia has a lot to do with the origins of the Otto Bock commitment to the Paralympics was of interest to her. And also that Cameron, a member of our current Australia quartet, is still personally acquainted with the people who set up their small pavilion in Seoul 20 years ago.

 
Like so many things, this was revealed while chatting after closing time. The adventures of Ingolf Hentsch and Robert Laermann as cyclists in Beijing are also a hot topic. Which makes a nice segue from yesterday's column on taxi rides in this city. When he read the equivalent price of Euro 25 in the window of a bicycle shop, Ingolf simply could not resist. He really just wanted to see what kind of contraption he would get for his money. 20 minutes later, he was sitting in the saddle on Beijing's turbulent streets. Ok, so he lost a pedal during his first trip. But it was readily repaired back at the bicycle shop. It is safe to assume that all the orthopedic technicians in the Otto Bock workshop are quite capable of reattaching a bicycle pedal themselves. But without any tools in the middle of the city? Besides, there is nothing wrong with enjoying good service yourself after the end of a shift.

In the store, Ingolf met Robert who had also bought himself a bicycle. Ever since then, they have been pedaling through the metropolis as a duo. When they roll up to the agreed meeting place later at night, they always have tales to tell about the secrets of traffic in a major Chinese city.

According to them, driving on the wrong side of the street, with no light at night and with confidence while crossing eight-lane highways, is bound to be successful since it is the rule around here. By the way, the Chinese are very attentive and considerate towards cyclists. After all, cyclists have a hard enough time already since they have to brake with both feet.

According to Ingolf, the only requirement for trouble-free navigation through traffic is to make your intentions perfectly clear at all times. In this manner, our cyclists have already reached the northern lakes of Beijing City, circumnavigated the Forbidden City and visited the square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace. I can't wait to hear what stories they will tell tonight. On a day like today, I wouldn't be surprised if they were joined by an Australian. 

After the Olympic Games, a fundamental knowledge of taxi-driving in Beijing should be presumed: Hand the driver your destination written in Chinese characters, for example in the form of a hotel calling card; when communicating in English, do not misinterpret a nod of the head and repeated "yes" declarations in the sense that your destination is now clear. Initially this just means a mutual agreement that you will be spending some time together in a car.

In the company of Hong Geng, a perfect German and Chinese speaking Vietnamese member of the Otto Bock team, part 1 of the tour was of course a walkover. First to the hotel of Tagesspiegel (german newspaper) editor Annette Kögel, then to the current residence of Professor Hans Georg Näder in the street bearing the wonderful name Dongsi Jiu Tiao. An interview appointment and a welcome change to the media relations at the Otto Bock workshop.
So that's what real road traffic looks like in Beijing, beyond the traffic-quieted zones around the sports centers. It's just about what one would expect in a city with 14 million inhabitants. The average speed by car here is presumably the same as cycling.

 
The excitement rises when we leave the main roads and head through narrow alleys that very clearly must have been designed for cyclists, but in spite of this are being used bidirectionally with automobiles. So there really still are these precincts with the more original low buildings, even in this city, which is not only growing in acreage but, more impressively, very strongly upwards. The residence is a Hutong, a historic Chinese homestead with an inner court, and as the door closes behind us, we are in a different world.

 
Unperturbed, two parakeets swing on their bar. No trace of the bustle of a world metropolis, and no interchangeability of international hotels either. The Berlin Paralympics correspondent has a preprint of the Paralympics special supplement that will be appearing in the Tagesspiegel and the ZEIT on September 4. The relaxed conversation flies by within the agreed 60 minutes and ends up taking 90.  In the interview Professor Näder speaks about the opportunities that these Paralympics in Beijing are offering to disabled sports. The hosts are striving towards perfection. A visible example: Contrary to Athens, for instance, after the Olympic Games it took no time at all to decorate the entire city for the Paralympics with the symbols of this event.

 
This was repeatedly noticeable even during the trip by taxi back to the Paralympic village. Hong described the destination to the man at the wheel, but was not able to come along herself. It is somewhat irritating that, after a few kilometers, the driver uses one hand to unfold his street map and the other to maneuver the car through occasionally very narrow gaps in the big city traffic. Suddenly, as if struck by spontaneous inspiration he swerves from the second to left lane (the most left lane can only be used with special permission) directly over to the right shoulder and halts at a bus stop. Fortunately he does not offer us a bus as an alternative, but asks one of the persons waiting there for the way. Apparently without success, because this process is repeated a short time later at another bus stop. A road block results in momentary perplexity, before a traffic officer requests the driver to turn around. But to this request he adds some friendly instructions, and a short time later the taxi reaches the security door system at the south entrance to the athletes' village. Incidentally, this half hour taxi trip cost three Euros. And this small Beijing trip was certainly worth that. We bid farewell in the best of moods. I leave to the quiet village, he leaves to the turbulent city.   

It is now 30 minutes that I am in possession of travel chopsticks made of stainless steel.  Travel chopsticks are good for in-between meals, when you don't like to eat with your fingers. The individual parts are simply screwed together, and in no time you have your cutlery. Absolutely self-explanatory, an intelligent solution.

 
Ling gave me my travel chopsticks as a present. This week she is working at the Pin Trading Center in the Paralympic village. Here too the organizers revealed perfect preparation, because trading pins at the Paralympics has been a growing market for many years. Whether earlier venues of the Paralympics also had a Pin Trading Center is not known at least by the experienced Paralympics technicians on the Otto Bock team.

 
Occasionally enormous efforts are made to complete personal pin collections. The following is a strictly confidential example: When athletes from the Canadian national team came to the workshop and asked whether someone could break open the ring locks on their bicycles, this request was complied with subject to the donation of a pin from Canada. These are about the most attractive of all pins.

 
In order to avoid misunderstandings, no criminal offence was involved. Because the Canadians had been given the wrong keys for their loaned bicycles, and nobody was able to shed light on the whereabouts of the right ones. Incidentally, bicycles can be bought in Beijing for as little as 20 Euros - Ingolf Hentsch, orthopedic technician from Schwedt purchased one for this price yesterday, and it is now standing in his hotel room. A safe lock would have cost nine Euros, but who would spend almost half the price of his bicycle for a lock.
Pins on the other hand cost nothing. Only the ones we buy ourselves. It is a fair barter trade that has grown to become exceedingly popular amongst athletes as well as helpers. The exchange rate is always 1:1, independent of nationality. 

 
Ling also revealed to me which pins are amongst the most demanded rarities. According to her, the pin from Andorra is the hit of the season. Of course she has one. And that's no surprise, in the middle of the Pin Trading Center. What is all the more surprising is that Ling, after the usual Chenglish greeting ("Ni hao, hello") asks us in German whether we come from Germany or Austria. Now, that's being lucky. She is a German language student in Beijing, already speaks fluent German and is also very honest: "The grammar is terrible." An assessment shared not only by Mark Twain, but also by many Germans.

The first word that Chinese try to teach you is "Ni hau". No, not "Nihau" like in southpaw, but spoken separately "Ni hau", more like a somewhat overemphasized questioning of "and how?".   The pitch of the "h" is below that of the "Ni". To compensate, the "au" is higher. Strictly speaking, the "Ni" already shows a slightly rising tendency. For Europeans it is very difficult to internalize that correct pronunciation has a decisive influence on the meaning of words. In order to come yet a bit closer to the correct pronunciation, it is best to move the tones somewhat nasally across the tongue.

After having made these no small efforts, and with a bit of luck, one will have had the satisfaction of at least expressing the desire to have as closely as possible said "hello" in Chinese.  Nice Chinese respond to such experiments with a friendly smile, or like Chris Song of the Otto Bock workshop reception desk they say "perfect". That is definitely not true, but it encourages. Tomorrow we will supplement the "Ni hau" with a short "hma". That then means "how are you?" and establishes a perfect basis for further lessons. Our suspicion is correct; the pitch in "hma" goes up too, sort of like the tone in the workshop.

The more teams move into the athletes' village, the more colorful the cultural scenery at the reception desk gets, where repair orders are accepted and athletes are then picked up by the respective technical specialists. On the third day routine has certainly not crept in as yet, but nonetheless a fixed rhythm can certainly be felt. Midday meals are taken at a canteen for thousands of people working in the athletes' village, most of whom are youthful voluntary helpers.

On the way to the canteen it is always a good idea to change the route every so often. An exceptional, modern and impressive part of the city that always opens up new perspectives. The residential area here will doubtlessly be one of the most attractive in all Beijing. Life on the streets is quiet and relaxed. Of course the way here consists of a foot path. There is practically no road traffic, except for regular service buses along the periphery and an occasional small electric transporter. An exception is the Otto Bock truck, which has received a three-day special permit to commute between the central store and the satellite workshops at the sporting venues. Because these now need to be set up. The opening ceremony is approaching rapidly. Excitement is rising. Sentences shorter. Article end.

Oh, one more thing: The weather conditions have changed once more in the sense that now even the wispy Windows clouds have disappeared and left the sky to be just bright blue.

The first sports event - forklift pushing - has been decided six days before the opening of the Paralympics. Forklift pushing is generally known as the latest trend in sports. The season opened recently during an open house at the Federal Chancellery. There, too, the forklift was stuck and initially refused to budge. In Beijing, the team event in forklift pushing was won by a Chinese contingent supported by technology in the form of a truck. However, using this device was generally considered acceptable since it was deployed for a good cause: At long last, the final crates and boxes needed to complete the workshop equipment have reached their destination in the Paralympic Village.

Now the outside of the workshop also looks the way it was intended in the file folder with technical drawings. Without redeployment of the forklift, this would have been practically impossible. Nor could it have been done without the boundless competitive and team spirit of the forklift pushers, who never even gave the impression of willingness to bow to the rules of gravity.

On Sunday they had probably already forgotten about the heavy rains on Saturday when the lawn was soaked more thoroughly than expected. Indeed the weather on Sunday morning was surprisingly good. The sun was streaming through the windows by 6:30 am. Resplendent blue skies with puffy white clouds you might expect on a screensaver, but not in Beijing after all those smog warnings. While the temperature climbed to a perceived 30 degrees during the day, there is a steady wind. This summer weather is very welcome.

Meanwhile the workshop is being approached with a wide variety of jobs. At reception, Chris Song and Dofhin Cai from China with Monica Ingerström from Finland really have to pay attention in order to guide athletes to the respective expert. On the other hand, things are straightforward for Gordian Aaron from Mexico. The only question remains how long it will take to mend his broken wheel. The other common question - what will it cost - is simply waved away by Monica. After all, the service is free of charge for the athletes.
 
Gernot Kretschmer is working on a damaged prosthetic foot for a Bulgarian athlete. A complicated case. "I hope we somehow manage to pull it off." He re-laminated the foot with carbon, allowing her to even make smaller jumps. Larger jumps will follow as soon as the original spare part is flown in. The athlete, Stela Eneva, is among those without any sponsors and has to get by with plenty of idealism. Some readers of the Paralympics DIALOG from Otto Bock are sure to be familiar with her. Otherwise, simply download the magazine at www.ottobock-in-beijing.com. (A little bit of PR here and there is unavoidable.)

Meanwhile the wheelchair experts are sitting, standing and lying in front of an especially challenging job. An athlete from Cuba came into the workshop with a broken side panel on his wheelchair. Since a spare parts search for this model seems doomed from the outset, an experienced Otto Bock trio from Königsee - Mattes Trappe, Ronny Heinze and Kai Nawratil - quickly produce a new side panel.

Later on, the L.A.S.A.R. Posture is used for the first time in this workshop. The athlete from Thailand probably has no idea just how good his timing is. Installation of the device was only just completed. After all, equipping and expanding the workshop is still in progress while operations are ongoing. The main thing is that the man will leave with an improved gait pattern. In order to accomplish this, the measuring equipment uses a laser beam to indicate how fine adjustment changes on the prosthetic foot affect the shifting of weight.
 
In conclusion, let us return to the decision outside and before the Paralympic Games: In addition to a successful performance in forklift pushing, a water stopping competition also drew attention. The title was won by Swiss orthopedic technician Walter Emil Grubenmann, who stopped water shooting up out of a drain by throwing a wooden beam over it and skilfully balancing on top of it for quite some time, effectively cutting off the flow. A great success for both the acrobat and the workshop. After all, it limited the flood to a brief period and an area of just a few square meters. On a day of intense activity throughout much of the repair workshop, anything more serious would have been the last straw. You would think Walter Emil more than earned his first Beijing duck today...

There are no problems, just jobs. Therefore there also is no fatigue, just an urgent need for sleep. While all that can be resolved, day 1 in the Otto Bock workshop first needs to be documented. Describing it as eventful would be a total understatement. Paralympic fever really started to set in at Frankfurt Airport, where the national teams from Spain, Mexico and Poland were waiting for their respective flights. The German team left a few hours later. We may hear more about their unedifying journey later on when the athletes themselves get a chance to tell us what exactly was going on. Currently all we have is a rumour that the flight had to turn back in the vicinity of Moscow on its way to Beijing via Munich. That does not sound good.

The flight with orthopedic technicians from Germany and the Low Countries landed in Beijing on schedule at 6:20 am. Colleagues from Korea and New Zealand arrived in the course of the day. Setting up the workshop, which was still choked with numerous crates from two shipping containers, commenced at 10:00 am. It would not have been possible to start any earlier. First the area used as a canteen during the Olympic Games had to be converted. So far everything is going as planned; even the installation of the internet connection, which is usually full of surprises, succeeded at first try.

IPC president Sir Phil Craven even came to the workshop right on the first day in order to see how things were going with IPC cooperation partner Otto Bock during a brief initial visit. Certainly an eventful day.

Gunter Schumann locked up the workshop at 7:00 pm, only to open it up again at 7:01 pm - the team had intended to go for supper together: An Iranian and a Chinese successfully used their combined charm in order to convince Klaus-Peter von Ohlen to solve their tire problems - sorry, I mean to handle their tire job. The heck with it. There is no hunger, just a delay of food intake. Even though the technician hadn't slept for 30 hours by this time and everyone was ravenously hungry.

Zhen Xiaozhen, more or less the head workshop representative as manager of the organization committee BOCOG, told us that a report about Otto Bock and technical service at the Paralympics ran on Chinese television the day before we even arrived. This may be another reason why we saw a totally surprising and just about unbelievable rush of TV, radio and newspaper teams on day 1, the likes of which an Otto Bock workshop has probably never experienced before. You couldn't even count the number of television cameras in all that confusion. Of course the main reason for the crowd was Deng Yaping, the table tennis legend who is full of beans and has become something like a deputy mayor for this village which is home to 4.000 athletes. And she had a gaggle of journalists in tow, for whom the Paralympic Village is usually off limits but who now had an opportunity to document the Paralympics behind the scenes to their heart's content.

Hong Geng, fortunately bilingual with a knowledge of German and Chinese and acting as a go-between and interpreter for Otto Bock, was radiant as though she was at a New Year's Eve party when she later found her photo next to Chinese superstar Deng Yaping in her e-mail. Sometimes making people happy is easy. So many unexpected things happen in life. On the way back to the workshop from lunch, which was too early according to German time, too late by the time in China and therefore probably exactly right, we crossed paths with Urs Kolly, Swiss pentathlete and the first competitor in the long jump to make his prosthesis the takeoff leg. Between walk lights at an intersection, he told us he came to Beijing two days before the Paralympic Village opened. (Fortunately these are the streets with the least traffic in all of Beijing.) He temporarily lived in a hotel. Now he has moved in with his team of course, into this "village" that really looks more like an inviting, modern metropolitan district and still radiates composure on its first day after opening.