The Ski Jumping Sport is Currently Being Plagued by a Small Wave of Retirements. After Robert Johansson and Kamil Stoch, Manuel Fettner Has Now So Announced the End of his Career.
The Austrian ski jumping team is facing the loss of its most experienced jumper. 39-year-old Manuel Fettner has announced that the 2025/26 Olympic season will be his last. This is according to a statement from the ÖSV.
“I have decided that this year will be my last season as an active participant,” explained the ÖSV eagle, showing himself to be full of motivation with regard to his last career chapter. “The anticipation is almost even greater as a result,” he clarified.
Fettner Hopes for a Perfect End to his Career
Fettner justified his decision with honest words. “It doesn’t necessarily get any easier every year to keep up with the youngsters. With the Ski Flying World Championships and the Olympic Games, it could be the perfect end to my career,” he hopes.
The concerns of the veteran are understandable. The Austrian jumpers not only clearly dominated the World Cup last season, but are also virtually untouchable in all junior classes. Last winter, Fettner repeatedly had to compete in the second-class Continental Cup, even though he was convincing in terms of performance. For example, he narrowly missed the World Cup podium in the jumping in Lahti with fourth place.
Fettner Steps Out of the Shadows with an Acrobatic Landing
Fettner made his World Cup debut in January 2001 at the age of 15, but often stood in the shadow of stars such as Thomas Morgenstern and Gregor Schlierenzauer or later Stefan Kraft. However, the ÖSV eagle never gave in and provided the magical moment of the Nordic Ski World Championships in 2013. Fettner secured the gold medal for the Austrians by crossing the fall line on one leg after the binding on one ski had come loose.
Manuel Fettner on his landing piece
At the 2022 Olympic Games, he also secured team gold at the age of 36 and won his only major individual medal on the normal hill. He finished tenth in the overall World Cup in 2016/17 and 2023/24.
Numerous Retirements in Ski Jumping
Immediately before Fettner, the Polish star Kamil Stoch had already announced the end of his career after the coming season. Former world record holder Robert Johansson announced almost at the same time that he would end his career immediately.
Other well-known names such as Michael Hayböck and Markus Eisenbichler will also no longer be there in the coming season.