| Anna-Lena Forster | |
| Nickname: | "Leni", "Lenchen" |
| Nationality: | German |
| Birth Date: | 15 June 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Radolfzell, Germany |
| Years Active: | 2012– |
| Country: | Germany |
| Sport: | Para-alpine skiing |
| Disability Class: | LW12-1 |
| Event: | Downhill Giant slalom slalom Super-G Super combined |
| Coach: | Justus Wolf |
Anna-Lena Forster (born 15 June 1995) is a German para-alpine skier who competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics winning six medals.
Forster was born in Radolfzell, Konstanz Germany. She was born without a right leg and with bones missing in her left leg.[1] She started skiing at the age of six at the VDK Munchen ski club.[1]
Forster competes in the LW12 para-alpine skiing classification using a mono-ski and outriggers.[1]
At the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won a silver medal in the women's slalom in a time of 2 minutes 31.31 seconds. She was also placed fourth in the super-combined and fifth in the super-G but she failed to finish the giant slalom.[1]
Forster was selected as part of the German team for the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. Competing in the slalom she finished in a time of 2 minutes 14.35 seconds and was identified as the gold medal winner and press releases announcing her victory were posted.[2] She was given gold because her compatriot Anna Schaffelhuber, who finished in a faster time, was disqualified for not having her outriggers in a stationary position at the start of her first run.[1] [3] Following an appeal Schaffelhuber was reinstated and Forster was awarded the silver medal.[4] Forster won her second silver medal of the Games, again finishing behind Schaffelhuber, in the combined. The two German skiers were the only athletes to complete the race.[5] [6] Her third Paralympic medal, a bronze, came in the giant slalom where she finished behind Schaffelhuber and Austrian skier Claudia Lösch in a time of 2 minutes 59.33 seconds.[7] In the downhill Forster came fourth and therefore missed out on a medal. She failed to finish the super-G event.[1]
Forster was nominated for the Baden Sports Personality of the Year award in 2012 and in 2013 she was awarded a gold medal by her home town of Radolfzell to mark her achievements.[1]
She won the silver medal in the women's downhill sitting event at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.[8] [9]