This would not have happened at the Olympics!

Nothing really special: Her country’s name is written in big yellow letters on the back of Elizabeth Tinkler’s shirt. But the 27-year-old stood out at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. Her red jersey reads: Isle of Man – a name you won’t find at the Olympics and Paralympics.

There athletes from the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea sandwiched between Great Britain and Ireland, compete for the British Team GB. At Special Olympics they have their own team.

“It feels good to represent my country,” says Tinkler, who plays bocce in addition to bowling. “I’m excited to be here.” I especially enjoyed the opening ceremony, where I danced a lot. She is also happy that her parents are with her in Berlin to support her.

“When skittles fall, I feel good”

The Isle of Man has competed in the World Games under its flag since 1995. The island has a special international status and is directly linked to the British Crown. The island, which is neither part of the United Kingdom nor a British Overseas Territory, is known around the world primarily as a tax haven and for major motorcycle racing.

“As an island, we produce great athletes. We are certainly more successful than we should be with our small population of 85,000 people,” said Beryl Wooldridge, Special Olympics team chief delegation chief. One of the island’s most famous athletes is cyclist Mark Cavendish, who has 34 wins. in the Tour de France and took silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics – but under the British flag.

“Special Olympics World wanted us to be recognized in international sport and let us compete as an independent team,” says Wooldridge. She hopes that participation in the World Games will pave the way for an Olympic and Paralympic team for the island in the long term.

At Bowling World in Berlin on Monday, it’s all about Elisabeth Tinkler’s next throw. Along with 210 other athletes and 46 uniformed partners, she tries to knock down as many of the ten cones as possible with her twelve throws. In the World Games, bowlers compete in five disciplines: singles, doubles, and teams of four as well as unified doubles and unified team.

In the unified disciplines, athletes with or without learning disabilities compete together. The final classification competition will be held on Monday, using a system developed by Special Olympics that is unique to the sport. It is based exclusively on the performance of the athletes – not on the type or severity of their disability.

The bowling finals run through Saturday – without spectators for reasons of space. When it comes to medal decisions, Elizabeth Tinkler has one big goal: “I want to do my best. When the skittles fall, I feel good.”

Note: World Games organizers speak of “athletes with multiple and mental disabilities”. Within the team of correspondents, we agreed on the term “athletes with learning disabilities.” This is also suggested by Jürgen Dussel, the Federal Government’s Commissioner for the Interests of Persons with Disabilities.