Anna-Lena Forster

Anna-Lena Forster
Forster at the 2013 IPC World Championships
Personal information
Nickname(s)"Leni", "Lenchen"
NationalityGerman
Born (1995-06-15) 15 June 1995 (age 29)
Radolfzell, Germany
Years active2012–
Sport
CountryGermany
SportPara-alpine skiing
Disability classLW12-1
Event(s)Downhill
Giant slalom slalom
Super-G
Super combined
Coached byJustus Wolf
Medal record
Women's Alpine skiing
Representing  Germany
Winter Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Pyeongchang Slalom sitting
Gold medal – first place 2018 Pyeongchang Super combined sitting
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Super combined sitting
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2014 Sochi Super-combined sitting
Silver medal – second place 2014 Sochi Slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2022 Beijing Downhill sitting
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Sochi Giant slalom sitting
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Sella Nevea Slalom sitting
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lillehammer Downhill sitting
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lillehammer Super-G sitting
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lillehammer Slalom sitting
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lillehammer Super combined sitting
Gold medal – first place 2023 Lleida Super-G sitting
Gold medal – first place 2023 Lleida Alpine combined sitting
Gold medal – first place 2023 Lleida Giant slalom sitting
Gold medal – first place 2023 Lleida Slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2013 La Molina Slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2017 Tarvisio Slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2019 Sella Nevea Downhill sitting
Silver medal – second place 2019 Sella Nevea Giant slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place 2019 Sella Nevea Super combined sitting
Silver medal – second place 2023 Lleida Downhill sitting
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Panorama Slalom sitting
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Tarvisio Super combined sitting

Anna-Lena Forster (born 15 June 1995) is a German para-alpine skier who competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics winning six medals.

Early life

Forster was born in Radolfzell, Konstanz Germany. She was born without a right leg and with bones missing in her left leg.[1] She started skiing at the age of six at the VDK Munchen ski club.[1]

Career

Forster competes in the LW12 para-alpine skiing classification using a mono-ski and outriggers.[1]

At the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won a silver medal in the women's slalom in a time of 2 minutes 31.31 seconds. She was also placed fourth in the super-combined and fifth in the super-G but she failed to finish the giant slalom.[1]

Forster was selected as part of the German team for the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. Competing in the slalom she finished in a time of 2 minutes 14.35 seconds and was identified as the gold medal winner and press releases announcing her victory were posted.[2] She was given gold because her compatriot Anna Schaffelhuber, who finished in a faster time, was disqualified for not having her outriggers in a stationary position at the start of her first run.[1][3] Following an appeal Schaffelhuber was reinstated and Forster was awarded the silver medal.[4] Forster won her second silver medal of the Games, again finishing behind Schaffelhuber, in the combined. The two German skiers were the only athletes to complete the race.[5][6] Her third Paralympic medal, a bronze, came in the giant slalom where she finished behind Schaffelhuber and Austrian skier Claudia Lösch in a time of 2 minutes 59.33 seconds.[7] In the downhill Forster came fourth and therefore missed out on a medal. She failed to finish the super-G event.[1]

Forster was nominated for the Baden Sports Personality of the Year award in 2012 and in 2013 she was awarded a gold medal by her home town of Radolfzell to mark her achievements.[1]

She won the silver medal in the women's downhill sitting event at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.[8][9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anna-Lena Forster.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Forster Anna-Lena". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Germany's Forster Skis to Paralympic Slalom Gold". Ria Novosti. 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Kimberly Joines to take bronze in slalom, not silver". CBC Sports. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Schaffelhuber awarded gold after successful slalom appeal". International Paralympic Committee. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Etherington wins historic silver". Channel4. 14 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games Alpine Skiing Women's Super Combined sitting". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games Alpine Skiing Women's Giant Slalom sitting". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  8. ^ Burke, Patrick (5 March 2022). "Slovakia's Farkašová wins first gold medal of Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Alpine Skiing Results Book" (PDF). 2022 Winter Paralympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.