Heinrich Popow is one of the most popular German athletes on Facebook. The number of his fans grows constantly. Due to his clear statements he became "probably the most admired Paralympian in Germany."Ronny Blaschke: Heinrich Popow sprintet zu Gold, 10 September 2012 Often quoted by mass media, Heinrich Popow became a needed voice of Paralympic sports in Germany.süddeutsche.de: "Ihr könnt mich gern vor den Karren spannen, 10 September 2012 The man from Leverkusen demands "respect and appreciation"sport1.de: Wieder zwei Beine? "Ich würde ablehnen", 30 August 2012 for Paralympic athletes. At the same time, he claims a professionalisation of Paralympic sports. Popow defended lower bonuses for Paralympic athletes compared to Olympic winners. He explains his opinion with the lower competition within the Paralympic field.focus.de: Popow: "Nicht das Niveauwie Olympia-Sportler", 28 August 2012 Furthermore, Popow defended the separation of the Paralympics and Olympics, otherwise the Paralympics would be eclipsed by the Olympic Games.
