Maximilian Jagger’s Paralympic dream came to an abrupt end. The Paracycler of Bad Brücknau was reclassified before Tokyo. There were no successes. Now the 22-year-old is back. He is aiming to win two medals at the World Championships in Canada in August.
Fulda/Bad Brückenau – Bad news reached him shortly before the World Cup in Portugal in June 2021. Arrived as a two-time vice world champion in paracycling, Maximilian Jagger, whose left half of his body is partially paralyzed due to a prenatal stroke, was considered a hot contender for a medal in the T1 starting class.
There should only be one way station on the way to the Paralympics to be held in Tokyo, the Para World Championships. Jagger’s participation was considered safe, only for the athletes with the largest limitations; his starting class T1 had to be confirmed by the international classification team. none.
Fulda: Maximilian Jagger back on top of the world – target Paralympics 2024 in Paris
“Two days before the time trial, I was reclassified to the T2 starting class, although I submitted the same documents as in 2019,” reports Maximilian Jagger. “It was a shock,” admits the tricycle rider. He accepted his fate. “What should I have done?”
The young man had to face the situation first. The competition was now tough, but Jagger showed a solid performance with a sixth place in both races. But he is a fighter and has incredible talent. “I worked hard over the winter,” recalls the high school student who trained at the Paralympic base in Cottbus.
The hard work and pain paid off. Jagger has come to T2 where he was in T1 a year ago. At the top. In May, Maximilian Jger became European champion in the time trial and runner-up in a road race in Upper Austria. He regularly climbs the podium at the World Cup.
At the Para World Championships in Canada in August, there must definitely be two medals: “Bronze or more”, he has firmly resolved. The way he practices the game consistently, he works for his professional future. “Maxi” feels like a professional athlete.
“I turned my hobby into a job. Nobody gets better than this,” he says happily. He definitely wants to have another source of income and has big plans. At Cottbus Boarding School, Maximilian Jagger is aiming for a vocational diploma in 2023. Training camps And because of the excessive downtime at school due to competitions, the school days for competitive athletes are being extended from ages 2 to 14.
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After graduating from high school, Bad Brückenauer plans to do a social year, if possible, to study applied sports science in Potsdam with a specialization in competitive and top-class sports. Due to his training and school workload, he does not have much time for hobbies.
“Whenever I’m free, I meet friends,” he says. He visited his family in Bad Brückenau for a week after Pentecost, but he is still an inactive member of the RC 07 Fulda. He has one goal at the top of his list: the Paralympics. Maximilian Jagger would like to fulfill his dream in 2024 in Paris, then in T2.
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