“Can’t wish for more beautiful life”
Ski jumper ends career
30.03.2025 – 9:27 a.m.Reading time: 1 min.
He was one of the top performers of Austria for years. Michael Hayböck flies one last time on Sunday.
On Sunday, the Austrian Michael Hayböck will shut down the ski jump one last time, try to catch the right moment at the ski jumping table and then fly far in Planica. However, not within the rating (from 9.30 a.m. in the T-online live ticker), but after the first round out of competition. After that, for the 34-year-old. Hayböck ends his successful career.
The Olympic-Silber medalist told the ORF with the Sochi team: “I think I couldn’t have wished for a better life. Because I just turned my hobby into a profession and was largely successful in it.” The Linzer won three silver medals at World Championships, as well as three times World Cup bronze.
He also won silver with the team last year at the World Ski Flight Championship. Most recently, Hayböck took 18th place in the World Cup in Planica. In Lahti there was 24th place for him and the 22nd place in Vikersund. In Oberstdorf he finished third at the beginning of the year.
What plans does the athlete have that has been in the national squad since 2006? “Over the past few months, the gut feeling has become more and more that after this season is the perfect moment to have happy courage to end the career, to have time for the family and look forward to new things,” said Hayböck about the “Krone”.
He became a father last autumn. He rejected his plans to actually pull through until the 2026 Olympics in 2026 and is now looking forward to new challenges.