
Thomas Pflegar from Ottobock Brazil, works alongside colleagues from Great Britain and Germany on an emergency repair to an athlete’s prosthetic leg at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games. Photograph by Harry Engels/Getty Images, for Ottobock.
Ottobock Healthcare, Duderstadt, Germany, announced that it has been named the office O&P and wheelchair services provider for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. These will be the 13th games where Ottobock has provided technical services. In this capacity, Ottobock will provide a team of 90 prosthetists, orthotists, wheelchair technicians, and welders from across the region and its network worldwide. They will be responsible for supporting the needs of athletes from all competing nations and in all sports, maintaining and repairing any of the equipment they rely on to train and compete.
“Ottobock has a long history in Latin America, with a strong commitment to its people and the growth of the region,” said Hans Georg Näder, president and CEO of Ottobock Healthcare. “Our Paralympic engagement is part of the company DNA and becoming a partner of the first Paralympic Games in Latin America is a natural progression of our commitment to both the region and Paralympic sport. The vitality of the Brazilian people and the Paralympic spirit is an thrilling combination, and I am looking forward to Games with a passion that will be felt not only in Rio but by audiences worldwide.”