Horror after Mockridge’s statements about para-athletes

Comedian and TV presenter Luke Mockridge has sparked outrage and horror with his comments about the Paralympics. In a podcast, the 35-year-old mocked athletes at the games in Paris, which end this Sunday. “There are people without legs and arms who are thrown into a pool – and whoever drowns last wins,” Mockridge said in the podcast “Die Deutschen” among other things.

The podcast was published in mid-August. Two-time Olympic track cycling champion Kristina Vogel, who is in a wheelchair after a training accident, commented on the statements on social media and described them as “unbelievable”.

Shot put world champion and Paris silver medalist Niko Kappel explained in response to a dpa query: “Luke Mockridge and his two fellow competitors are unlucky that contempt for humanity, ignorance and bad taste are not Paralympic.” Otherwise they would have been able to experience these great games as athletes and would have been hot candidates for gold.”

In the article, Mockridge also expressed his thoughts on the origins of the Paralympics: “It’s amazing: the first person to call another country and say: ‘Hey, you know the Olympic Games. I have a similar idea. You also have disabled people in your country. Should we see who is faster?'”

The German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) responded in a statement with an invitation. “We would like to encourage people to watch para-sports live in order to experience the impressive achievements that people with disabilities are capable of – and to understand what an enrichment they are for our society,” the statement said: “We do not want to devote any greater attention to this contribution.”

The president of the Berlin Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association demanded an apology and spoke of an “unprecedented slip-up”. This cannot be dismissed as comedy or mere stupidity,” Özcan Mutlu told the German Press Agency: “Such derogatory statements are absolutely unacceptable and deserve strong condemnation.” Mockridge should be deeply ashamed.

The fact that the statements have now become public is probably due to Vogel’s post on Instagram. “For the question of why people talk themselves hoarse because there are still people who say such inhumane crap and simply put down disabled people. “Here’s just one example, it’s unbelievable,” she wrote.

After a training accident, the former world-class track cyclist is paralyzed. In her post on Instagram Story, she also shares a short excerpt with further statements from Mockridge.

Mockridge had already caused a stir in the past, including with an irritating appearance on the “ZDF-Fernsehgarten”. “However, the jokes that Luke Mockridge told today were neither to our sense of humour nor that of the audience.” “Unfortunately, there is nothing more to say, the appearance speaks for itself,” ZDF said at the time.

The comedian Mockridge was once one of the faces of Sat.1. In August 2021, he announced a break and has hardly appeared on television since then. From mid-September, Mockridge will host the Sat.1 show “What’s in the Box? The Comedy Quiz.”