Anna-Lena Forster carried Germany's flag into the Verona Arena on March 6, 2026. The next day she won Germany's first gold of the Winter Paralympics in the downhill by 0.05 seconds over Spain's Audrey Pascual Seco. Six days later she won the giant slalom, an event that hasn't traditionally been her strongest. She also took silver in the Alpine Combined. By the time the Games closed, she'd added three more medals to a career that now spans 6 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze across four Winter Paralympics.

The margin in that downhill finish is the width of a ski edge. It's also 24 years of work compressed into a single competitive moment. Forster was born June 15, 1995 in Singen, a town in southwestern Germany near Lake Constance, about 150 kilometers from the Italian border. She was born without a right leg and with bones missing in her left leg. Her parents put her on a mono-ski at 6. At 11, a coach asked if she wanted to try racing. She said yes.

The Question That Changed Everything

That question at 11 was the pivot. Forster's parents passed on their love of skiing, but the coach who asked about racing gave her a path to elite competition. She started with VDK München, a ski club that runs adaptive programs, and moved through junior ranks into World Cup racing. By 2014, she was competing at Sochi as a 19-year-old. She's been on every German Winter Paralympic team since.

She's also been studying psychology at the University of Freiburg since 2014. Twelve years of dual career. Most elite athletes finish university in four or five years, if they complete it at all. Forster took 12 because the race calendar doesn't pause for finals week: coursework competed with World Cup circuits, exam prep with training camps, thesis deadlines with Paralympic cycles. That persistence says something about how she approaches long-term goals.

The 2024-25 Season Run-Up

Heading into Milano Cortina, Forster was coming off a dominant season. She won the overall para alpine skiing World Cup title in 2024-25 and three crystal globes. The 2025-26 season added 10 more World Cup wins before the Games. She arrived in Italy as the athlete to beat in the women's sitting category.

The downhill on Day 2 was her first Paralympic gold in that event. She'd taken silver at Beijing 2022. This time she finished in 1:25.79, edging Pascual Seco by five hundredths of a second. That's the kind of margin where conditions, wax choice, and one line through a gate section decide the result. Forster got all three right on a course where she grew up skiing, in a region close enough to her hometown that friends and family filled the stands.

The Giant Slalom Win

The giant slalom win on Day 6 was less expected. Forster's strength has always been speed events like downhill and super-G. Technical disciplines like slalom and giant slalom require tighter turn sequences and more precise edge control. She finished in 2:30.64, ahead of Japan's Muraoka Momoka (silver) and China's Liu Sitong (bronze).

That race was also the final competitive run for Laurie Stephens, the American para alpine legend who won two golds at her first Games in Torino 2006 and was competing at her sixth and final Paralympics. Forster's gold came on the same day Stephens closed a 20-year career.

Forster didn't finish every event clean. She crashed in the super-G and didn't finish. She placed fourth in the slalom. But the two golds and a silver across five events put her at the top of Germany's medal count for the Games and cemented her status as the country's most decorated Winter Paralympian.

The Flagbearer Honor

Being chosen as flagbearer is recognition from teammates, not officials. Athletes vote on who carries the flag. Forster's selection reflected what her peers already knew: she's been the anchor of Germany's para alpine program for over a decade. She's won medals at every Games since Sochi. She's mentored younger athletes coming through the system. And at Milano Cortina, she was racing in a region she described as "so close to my home."

In a post-race interview, she said carrying the flag and knowing friends and family would be in the crowd was "the greatest feeling." She also said, "I think Para sport changed my life. I think I learned a lot in sports, to be more self-confident."

What the Origin Story Means

The through-line from Singen to Verona is access, coaching, and persistence. Forster's parents didn't wait to see if adaptive skiing programs would find them. They put her on a mono-ski at 6. The coach who asked if she wanted to race at 11 gave her a question that opened a career. And Forster herself chose a dual path (elite competition and a psychology degree) that took 12 years to complete because she refused to compromise on either.

For families navigating similar decisions, the lesson isn't just "start early." It's that access matters, the right coach asking the right question matters, and long-term commitment compounds in ways that don't show up until years later. Forster didn't win Germany's first gold at Milano Cortina by 0.05 seconds because of one season's preparation. She won it because 24 years of work put her in position to execute when the margin was that tight.

She's 30 now. She's competed at four Winter Paralympics. She's finished her degree. And she's shown that the athletes who define a generation aren't just the ones with the most medals. They're the ones who carry the flag, deliver under pressure, and build a career that younger athletes can study when they're trying to figure out what's possible.

FAQ

What classification does Anna-Lena Forster compete in?

Forster competes in the LW12-1 classification, which is for athletes with significant impairment in both legs who race using a mono-ski (also called a sit-ski) and outriggers. The LW12 category is part of para alpine skiing's sitting division.

How many Paralympic medals has Anna-Lena Forster won?

As of Milano Cortina 2026, Forster has won 12 Paralympic medals across four Winter Games: 6 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze. Her medals span Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022, and Milano Cortina 2026.

What is a mono-ski and how does it work?

A mono-ski is a custom seat mounted on a single ski, designed for athletes with lower-limb impairments. The athlete sits in the bucket seat and uses two outriggers (short ski poles with mini-skis at the ends) for balance, turning, and propulsion. The setup allows for full alpine skiing technique while seated.

How long did it take Anna-Lena Forster to complete her university degree?

Forster has been studying psychology at the University of Freiburg since 2014, a 12-year dual career alongside her elite competition schedule. Most university programs are completed in 4-5 years, but Forster balanced coursework with World Cup racing and Paralympic training cycles.

Who won silver in the downhill at Milano Cortina 2026?

Spain's Audrey Pascual Seco won silver in the women's sitting downhill, finishing just 0.05 seconds behind Forster. The margin was one of the closest finishes of the entire Paralympic alpine skiing program.

What other German athlete carried the flag at a recent Paralympics?

Germany's flagbearer tradition varies by Games and is chosen by athlete vote. Forster's selection for Milano Cortina 2026 reflected her status as the country's most decorated Winter Paralympian and her leadership within the German para alpine program.