Closing Ceremony

Bye Berlin!

On the final day of competition, Team Australia added a silver medal to our impressive medal haul when Jaye Barnesby-Buie (WA) secured second spot in equestrian (equitation jumping).

The final medal tally for Team Australia is 15 gold, 21 silver, 23 bronze and a multitude of place ribbons for our 4-8 placed champions.

Almost every one of our 64 Aussie athletes will return to Australia with at least one medal, while the talented Chris Bunton (NSW), who is a World Games veteran, will return home with seven medals he won in artistic gymnastics – three gold and four silver.

More importantly, many Australian athletes will leave the Games having achieved a personal best performance in their chosen sport.

At Special Olympics competition, athletes are encouraged to strive for their best and experience the joy of participation, inclusion and friendship. A gold medal is a bonus, and that is one of the reasons we don’t keep records or a competitive medal tally.

But don’t be misled – Special Olympics athletes love the glory of winning gold!

Just ask Michael Wheatley who won gold in tenpin bowling at these World Games. Michael said, “I’m living the dream!”

We’ll reminisce with a full World Games wrap-up once everyone lands home and recovers from an event of a lifetime.

Scale of the World Games

The Special Olympics World Games in Berlin 2023 was the largest and most inclusive sporting event on the planet in 2023. It was also the largest multi-sport event held in Germany since the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972.

Here’s a look at the numbers: 

• 7,000 Special Olympics athletes
• 3,000 coaches and officials
• 190 delegations
• 26 sports (9 for Australia)
• 9 venues
• 18,000 volunteers
• 200 Host Towns welcomed athletes to Berlin
• 50,000 Opening Ceremony attendees
• 100,000 ticketed sports spectators
• 1,800 news media from 90 countries – a World Games record!

Photo Gallery

Daily photo albums can be found  HERE