Kicking off the Olympic Games
A successful start for the team in Zeulenroda
Two days filled to the brim with discussions, hands-on experience, and team spirit: During workshops in Zeulenroda on January 15 and 16, our orthotists went through intensive preparations for their upcoming roles at the Winter Olympics. Find out in this article how expertise, organization, and personal interactions came together.
“Have fun, enjoy yourselves, and represent our company with your know-how to impress everyone you meet.” On January 16, 2026, Katharina Dietrich, Chief Technical Officer, said these words during the kick-off event to send off the orthotists who will be taking care of the athletes in Italy during the Olympic Games for Bauerfeind. On January 15 and 16, they met with the organizing team at the Bauerfeind Academy in Zeulenroda to prepare for their upcoming roles, from both a functional and organizational perspective. “During these Winter Olympics, we have the huge challenge of providing high-quality service to athletes in all six locations at the same time,” explained Project Manager Jörg Ritzerfeld during his welcoming speech. He also wanted to use these intensive workshops to get the whole team on the same wavelength for the coming weeks.
Focus on team work
That’s why this personal meeting was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. “The workshops really offered added value with regard to harmonization and exchanging perspectives. Talking about experiences with colleagues from different countries helped us set our daily work in a wider, strategic context,” summarized Bauerfeind Italy’s Fabio Terrazzi. Fabio will be in Cortina and Antholz from February 9 to 26, 2026. This will be his first time at the Olympic Games for Bauerfeind. The same is true for Thimoté Rouzin, his colleague from France who also benefited from the workshops. “Every market is different. That’s why not all of the Bauerfeind product range is available in France. These workshops therefore really helped me familiarize myself with all the products and actually handle them. Plus, they also gave me a personal insight into foot orthopedics which is an area that isn’t quite so developed in France,” Thimoté added. He will be in Livigno from February 4 to 16.
A camera team from the German TV channel MDR also followed some of the workshops to record for a subsequent report on the Olympics how companies from Thuringia prepared for the sporting highlight this winter.
Practical work covering all aspects of product supply
The first day was wholly dedicated to product supply. Colleagues from the Bauerfeind Academy as well as from the departments of Measurement Technology and Medical Affairs provided the participants with in-depth information on products, indications, and modification options during several practical workshops.
During the workshop on supplying foot orthoses, Dirk Schwager, Head of Sport Performance Concepts, explained the basic steps – from the first assessment of standing position, posture, as well as movement, and foot analysis as well as sneakers, to the practical implementation. He then demonstrated how foot orthoses can be individually adapted based on the data obtained.
Alexander Lehle, Trainer at the Bauerfeind Academy, presented the supports product portfolio which will be used during the Olympic Games. He also explained how supports can be adapted to different body parts – from foot and knee to back, shoulder, and hand. In addition, the participants received information on compression stockings which will also be available to hand out to athletes.
The first day was rounded off by learning about measurement technology. Ralph Kecke, Measurement Technology Product Manager, presented the equipment planned for the locations, and explained the differences between the sites. While there will be all measurement technology in Milan, including a digital workbench and 3D printer, primarily the Bodytronic 140 measurement system and sometimes the Bodytronic 410 3D scanner will be used in the other locations. These systems will be installed in the clinics by the end of January.
Organization, discussions, and personal interaction
The second workshop day was run by the Bauerfeind Sports Marketing Team that plays a key role in managing and organizing the Olympics Project. Focus was therefore on organizing the individual sites. The site-related groups addressed, for example, travel planning, accommodation, accreditations, and access authorizations. For many, this was the first personal meeting within their cluster which made discussions easier and strengthened team spirit. “I was so thrilled to meet colleagues from all over the world. It was such a great feeling to know that we’re all working together for the same cause. This shared mission connects us. We’re helping athletes during the most important moments of their lives. I’m really proud to be part of the Olympics Team,” Alicja Pauck, Bauerfeind Switzerland summarized. She will be in Livigno from February 14 to 26, 2026.