Repairs for the Paralympics: Technical service in the athletes' village

At the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, it's all about peak performance, records, and medals – an enormous strain on people and their equipment. While physiotherapists look after the athletes' physical fitness, a team of 86 specialists repairs prosthetics, wheelchairs, and sports equipment free of charge and regardless of the manufacturer.

Around 665 athletes will compete in six sports until March 15, 2026 – Para Alpine Skiing, Para Biathlon, Para Cross-Country Skiing, Para Snowboard, Para Ice Hockey, and Wheelchair Curling. A total of 79 medal events will be held. Many of the sports equipment used is highly specialized and individually adapted – accordingly, the technical effort required to keep it ready for competition is considerable.

To this end, the medical technology manufacturer Ottobock operates workshops in the Paralympic villages in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Predazzo during the Games, as the company explained during a virtual workshop tour. In addition, there are six mobile service stations directly at the competition venues. In total, the company transported around 16 tons of equipment – approximately 87 pallets with tools, spare parts, and machines – from Germany to Italy, according to its own statements.

The repair service has a long tradition: Ottobock has been operating such workshops at all Summer and Winter Games as an official partner of the Paralympics since the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games. Since then, the team has grown from an original four orthopedic technicians to over 80 specialists. It includes experts in wheelchair technology, prosthetics, and orthopedic technology, as well as welders and seamstresses. They take care of everything that can break during training and competition: from wheelchair tires and seat shells to complex prosthetics or monoskis, and even clothing can be altered in the workshop if needed, for example, if the weather is too warm.

Little time for repairs

According to Ottobock, the challenges of the Winter Games are particularly great. Cold, moisture, and heavy material stress affect the equipment, while often there is very little time for repairs – sometimes immediately before a competition. In addition, there are the long distances between the Paralympic villages and the competition venues, which require additional logistics.

Currently, the technicians at the Winter Games most frequently have to repair equipment from Para Ice Hockey. The sport is a contact sport in which players' sleds collide at high speed. Accordingly, broken mounts are often welded or seat structures are stabilized. This is followed by repairs to wheelchairs, as well as prosthetics and other sports equipment. If a wheelchair is defective, replacement devices can also be borrowed free of charge on site.

The workshops also serve as a meeting point for athletes and teams from all over the world. Unusual situations often arise there, such as when a Mexican team member brought a wooden flute from Peru whose mouthpiece had cracked during travel. A technician from China repaired the instrument with resin and grinding work. "A flute from Peru belonging to a team member from Mexico is repaired by a Chinese technician – this shows how international and solidarity-based the Paralympics are," said Peter Franzel, Head of Events & Exhibitions at Ottobock.

According to the manufacturer, the workshops are one of the first points of contact in the Paralympic Village for many athletes. Because if a prosthesis breaks or a wheelchair is damaged shortly before a competition, it could, in the worst case, mean the end of their participation. This is precisely what the technical service aims to prevent – so that the decision between victory and defeat is made on the track, not in the workshop.

(mack)