Shipment from Ottobock HQ in Germany contains 15,000 spare parts, including running blades, wheelchair tyres, prosthetic feet and a sewing machine.

Ottobock Healthcare today dispatched 18 tonnes of equipment and spare parts for Rio de Janeiro in preparation for their role as the Official Technical Service Provider for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Technical services will be provided from a main repair centres in the Athletes’ Village, 14 competition venues and a mobile unit. These facilities will be staffed by a team of 77 orthopaedic technicians from 30 countries and operate much like the pit lane in motor-racing. Emergency and maintenance repair services will be available for the equipment used by all the 4350 athletes competing.

Each repair centre is fully equipped with the machinery and parts to repair running blades, wheelchairs for rugby and basketball, racing wheelchairs, throwing frames as well as custom made items. The equipment also includes specialist chemicals and materials that require secure and expert handling.

Ottobock’s team have provided technical service at the Paralympic Games since 1988, and the availability of their expertise, experience and support is relied on by athletes and their teams from all over the world.

Ottobock technical repair services will be available 24/7 from August when Paralympic athletes start arriving in Rio until the end of the Games. The team are expected to work more than 14,500 hours and complete more than 2,000 repairs.

"At every Paralympic Games since Ottobock started providing technical service in 1988 we learn something and it is applied in our planning for the following Games,” said Peter Franzel, Ottobock Paralympic Games Organizing Director. “In Beijing athletes using wheelchairs had no way of carrying flags into the Opening Ceremony. With less than 24 hours notice we designed, made and fitted over 50 flag holders. Since then we have come prepared with pre-made holders, but it is still critical that the team is calm and innovative, because it is impossible to anticipate everything.”

Further information is available at: https://corporate.ottobock.com/en/company/sports-engagement/paralympics