The message reads, in part:
“This competition has particular moral significance and convincingly demonstrates an individual’s colossal innate spiritual and physical potential and enormous capabilities. Through your hard work, athletic achievements, and attitude to life, you have learned never to give up, to go forward boldly, and achieve your goals.
Of course, to a large extent your victories are due to your trainers, mentors, and all who believe in you and help you to conquer sporting summits, generously share their experience and knowledge, and create unique new training methods”.
The Special Olympics is a sports competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The Winter Games are taking place in Austria on March 14–25, with 2,600 athletes from 107 countries competing. Russia’s team numbers 119 people from 22 regions of the country.