Simon Ammann: "I still have the fire in me"

More than 20 years after his first appearance in the Ski Jumping World Cup, Simon Ammann still remains highly motivated. On Tuesday, the Swiss was finally able to make his first jumps after the early end of last season.

"I still have the fire in me. Who doesn't believe that should just watch me on a morning like this one", the four-time Olympic champion told the Swiss newspaper "Blick". After all these years he still enjoys jumping and so Simon Ammann didn't really think about retirement even after the difficult last winter.
"Ski Jumping is a lot of fun for me and I'm convinced that I can make it to the top again", Simon Ammann continued.

This fun is also what keeps the 38-year-old motivated in training. "The jumps on the hill are the icing on the cake. It's much harder to hit the gym in summer and do one exercise after the other, even though you don't want to. This is exactly what answers the question: Continue the career, yes or no?"

With the Ski Flying Worlds in Planica, the Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf, and the Olympic Games in Beijing 2022, Simon Ammann has some big goals for the upcoming years, but then his long career will come to an end, even though the sport will keep fascinating him. "When I'm 80 years old I'll probably still think: Actually it would be cool to jump again", Simon Ammann is quoted on blick.ch.