“Hanging a heavy heart skis on the nail”
After falling horror: ski jumper has to end a career
19.03.2025 – 9:46 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
After his severe fall in December 2023, Sondre rings fought for his comeback for over a year. Now he had to see: he will no longer be able to return to the ski jump.
The Norwegian ski jumper Sondre Rings must end his career at the age of only 28. The athlete announced this via Instagram. There he found emotional words: “Since the serious accident, which made me bedridden for a large part of 2024, has already passed over a year. My progress is stable and usually go in the right direction.”
Then, however, the “but” followed: “In view of the developments of the past year, I can clearly see that my body will not be compatible with top sport for a long time. Therefore, I now have a heavy heart my skis.”
Rings had fallen heavily at the Continental Cup in Engelberg in Switzerland at the end of December 2023. He had lost control in the air and had a violent hit with his head at around 113 meters.
In doing so, he pulled out a concussion, brain bleeding at three different places, hip bruising and abrasions on the face. The impact with the head was so violent that rings briefly lost consciousness and could no longer remember the fall afterwards.
Rings was allowed to compete in the World Cup 17 times, his best result was an 18th place in jumping on the Holmenkollen in Oslo. He won seven individual jumping in the Intercontinental Cup. He continued to write: “I can look back on a moving career that I am getting more and more proud over time.”
In addition, the Norwegian thanked for the time in ski jumping. “I found friends for life through sport. Both Norwegian and foreign. I am proud to have spent my time with this fantastic group.”