It’s his second medal in three days. Silver and bronze from the Paralympics in Tokyo will now complete Léon Schäfer’s collection. In 12.22 seconds and a personal best, the lower leg amputee from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sprinted across the finish line after the Russian Anton Prokhorov (12.04) and Goncalves Rodrigues from Brazil. In 2016 in Rio, Schäfer started as a “little boy who sniffs a bit” and took fourth place in the long jump, now the 24-year-old vice world champion was toying with a podium. “The medal was planned”, he was somehow satisfied, but he “knows what I have to do, what I have to work on”.
He’s critical of himself. He is ambitious. He was aware of his role as a favorite. The pressure, this “other tension”, was unfamiliar. But he noticed that he could handle it quite well. After his silver medal in the long jump two days earlier, he faced the challenge of concentrating, maintaining the tension and maintaining focus on the same evening. The competition was analyzed together with his mentor Heinrich Popow, but without getting too involved in the evaluation.
Schäfer was “almost too relaxed” in the long jump
In the two days he learned that “I was almost too relaxed in the long jump”. This short-term reflection seems to have been successful, in the next few days and weeks “there will be a little more”, the focus is clearly on the Paralympics in Paris in 2024.
Schäfer may not have achieved his personal, ambitious goals, but he is a positive person and “makes the best of it.” Cheer up, no matter what “. The next season will also come, in which, according to his statements, “a lot will happen”. For the moment, Schäfer is “happy” and everything is okay for now.
As an entertainment author with over 7 years of experience, I bring a diverse background to my writing. I have a proven track record in the journalism industry. My expertise extends beyond writing, as I have experience producing video content for websites and social media platforms, offering a well-rounded perspective on the entertainment world
