Just a few weeks after Kiel's comeback announcement for the Olympic Sailing World Cup and its bid to host the 2018 World Cup finals, the International Sailing Federation has once again placed Kiel at the centre of a campaign. In the battle to reinstate sailing in the Paralympic programme, the Schleswig-Holstein "Sailing City" is to host the 2017 Para World Championships. The 2.4mR helmsman Heiko Kröger, who retired after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, will use this double opportunity - the World Championships will take place during Kiel Week - to make a comeback. Germany's best will not want to miss out on the World Championship opportunity on his own doorstep.
There are hardly any better conditions for disabled sailors anywhere in the world than in Kiel. This is another reason why Kiel appears to be a wise choice as the venue. The aim of the combined efforts of the World Sailing Federation and Kiel is to persuade the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to include Paralympic sailing in the programme again from 2024 with a new Para World Sailing strategy for the years 2017 to 2020.
Kim Andersen, the Dane who was elected as the new President of the World Sailing Federation in November, said: "The Para World Sailing Championships are a showcase event for the World Sailing Federation to show the IPC the progress we have made in developing and improving disabled sailing. A lot of positive steps have been taken since the Paralympic Games."
One of these will now lead to the World Championships in Kiel next year. According to Andersen, Kiel has organised a large number of outstanding sailing events in the past. "With our joint efforts and the support of our partners, we want to achieve the greatest possible attention for the Para World Sailing Championships," said the 59-year-old Dane, who has often participated in Kiel Week himself and visited Kiel for the first time as President just one week after his election.
The World Sailing Federation has invested 100,000 euros in the project to enable the athletes to take part in the World Championships. In addition, transport partner GAC Pindar will support the transport of boats and equipment to Kiel Week (17 - 25 June) and the Sailing World Cup in Hyères (23 - 30 April). "We are proud and happy that we will be able to organise the PWS Championships in 2017 as part of Kiel Week. We will do everything we can to ensure that this is an advertisement for sailing to be included in the Paralympic Games again," said Kieler Woche organisation manager Dirk Ramhorst. Disabled and non-disabled sailors have been sailing together in Kiel for years. The state capital and the state of Schleswig-Holstein have invested heavily in making the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Centre suitable for disabled and wheelchair users. Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer said: "The Para World Sailing Championships will clearly show that sailing must become part of the Paralympic Games again as soon as possible."
Paralympic sailing was removed from the programme for 2020 with all three disciplines - 2.4mR, Skud and Sonar - due to insufficient international participation after the last appearance in Rio de Janeiro and is now struggling to be reinstated for 2024 with new disciplines. The small keelboat 2.4mR is to remain, with the single-handed keelboat Hansa 303 and the multihull Weta being added instead of Skud and Sonar. The aim is to achieve the participation of at least 32 nations in Paralympic sailing.
"I would miss something without Kiel Week," says Kröger, "and if the World Championships are held during Kiel Week, then of course I'll compete." However, it remains to be seen whether the proposed new classes will actually attract a large crowd. After the Paralympics were cancelled, many countries reduced or even stopped their funding. As a result of the planned class change, the nations that have been heavily involved up to now will lose two thirds of their already small Paralympic fleets and will have to invest in the new classes. The objective is therefore very ambitious. Kiel Week and the Para World Championships will be an indicator of whether all of this, in conjunction with the funding awarded, can bear fruit in the summer of 2017.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
