Start of the season in Jesolo

Geierspichler surprises himself after the season opener

Thomas Geierspichler celebrated two strong results in Jesolo.(Bild: Massimo Bertolini)

Racing wheelchair racer Thomas Geierspichler had no great expectations at the start of the season. The man from Anifer wanted to gain experience in competition. In the end, however, he achieved very good results. The 47-year-old was beside himself with joy.

Racing wheelchair racer Thomas Geierspichler had not expected much from the start of the 25th season. The track in Jesolo is slow, and the man from Anifer had not raced for some time. The switch to sprinting did not make it any easier for the 47-year-old. But the 47-year-old surprised everyone with a victory in the 400 meters and second place in the 100-meter sprint at the WPA Grand Prix in Jesolo. "That makes me brutally happy," grinned Tom. Especially because the starting field was top-class.

Thomas Geierspichler still has the fire in him.(Bild: Chaluk)

But his ambition as an athlete quickly gets the better of him: "I realize that it's just the beginning of the journey. I still have to keep working." The two-time Paralympic champion must continue to work on the wheelchair setup in the coming weeks to get the best possible performance out of it. The first highlight of this year's Olympic year awaits in May with the Para World Championships in Japan.