Anna-Lena Forster

Anna-Lena Forster
Forster at the 2013 IPC World Championships
Personal information
Nicknames"Leni", "Lenchen"
NationalityGerman
Born (1995-06-15) 15 June 1995
Radolfzell, Germany
Years active2012–
Sport
CountryGermany
SportPara-alpine skiing
LW12-1
Events
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 place2018 PyeongchangSlalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2018 PyeongchangSuper combined sitting
Gold medal – first place2022 BeijingSuper combined sitting
Gold medal – first place2022 BeijingSlalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2026 Milano CortinaDownhill sitting
Gold medal – first place2026 Milano CortinaGiant slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2014 SochiSuper-combined sitting
Silver medal – second place2014 SochiSlalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2022 BeijingDownhill sitting
Silver medal – second place2026 Milano CortinaSuper combined sitting
Bronze medal – third place2014 SochiGiant slalom sitting
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Sella NeveaSlalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2021 LillehammerDownhill sitting
Gold medal – first place2021 LillehammerSuper-G sitting
Gold medal – first place2021 LillehammerSlalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2021 LillehammerSuper combined sitting
Gold medal – first place2023 LleidaSuper-G sitting
Gold medal – first place2023 LleidaAlpine combined sitting
Gold medal – first place2023 LleidaGiant slalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2023 LleidaSlalom sitting
Gold medal – first place2025 MariborSlalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2013 La MolinaSlalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2017 TarvisioSlalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2019 Sella NeveaDownhill sitting
Silver medal – second place2019 Sella NeveaGiant slalom sitting
Silver medal – second place2019 Sella NeveaSuper combined sitting
Silver medal – second place2023 LleidaDownhill sitting
Silver medal – second place2025 MariborGiant slalom sitting
Bronze medal – third place2015 PanoramaSlalom sitting
Bronze medal – third place2017 TarvisioSuper combined sitting

Anna-Lena Forster (born 15 June 1995) is a German para-alpine skier who competed at the 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 Winter Paralympics winning five gold 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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "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.