Simon Ammann wants to crown his legendary ski jumping career with an eighth Olympic participation. The Swiss is now at least a little closer to this dream.
Simon Ammann was nominated by the Swiss Ski Association for the season opener in ski jumping. The 44-year-old, together with Gregor Deschwanden, Sandro Hauswirth, Juri Kesseli and Felix Trunz, forms the quintet for the start of the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway (November 21st to 23rd).
This gives Ammann the chance to recommend himself for further nominations right at the beginning of the ski jumping winter.
Turbulent season in ski jumping
The 2024/25 season was turbulent for the four-time Olympic champion. At the beginning of the year, Amman lost its place in the Swiss World Cup squad. “He has to find confidence in his jumps again,” said coach Martin Künzle at the time. Ammann was then used in the second-class Continental Cup.
At the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, the veteran was back on the big stage. He finished 42nd on the normal hill. Ammann came 35th on the large hill.
The ski jumping legend then decided to continue his career. Taking part in the 2026 Olympics is Ammann’s big dream. It would be his eighth Winter Games. So far only ex-speed skater Claudia Pechstein and the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai have managed to do this.
Four-time gold medalist
“The Winter Olympics are still a long way away,” Ammann recently looked ahead cautiously in the “SRF” interview. “There’s a lot of work to be done. It’s about the rhythm of the competition, but also the internal competition, which is high. It’s very lively in our team. That gives all of us, especially me, enormous momentum,” he explained.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Italy from February 6th to 22nd. Ammann won gold on the normal and large hill in Salt Lake City in 2002 and in Vancouver in 2010.