Otto Bock in Beijing News

Day 20: Goodbye Beijing, hello London

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:21:00 +0200

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.

Day 19: With closing words by James Lehman

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:31:00 +0200

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.

Day 18: In the First Row

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:54:00 +0200

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 H�fte, Andrea Hegen, Matthias Mester, Frank Tinnemeier and J�rg 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.

Day 17: Xiu Guiqing Has a New Job

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:14:00 +0200

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!

Day 16: The Power of Women

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:45:00 +0200

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]

Day 15: Yodeling in Japanese

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:42:00 +0200

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 Schr�der 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.

Day 14: Triple Swiss Sports

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:52:00 +0200

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 D�dingen 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.

Day 13: When Night Falls in Beijing

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:09:00 +0200

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 ...

Day 12: Great puzzles and powerful emotions

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:48:00 +0200

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!

Day 11: Dial M for Music

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:18:00 +0200

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.