Trondheim 2025: How ‘humility’ helped Forfang rediscover red-hot form
Feb 28, 2025·Ski Jumping
“I kind of took it for granted,” says Olympic champion Johann Andre Forfang, with a shake of his head. “Then reality hits, and you get humbled, time and time again.”
The Norwegian is reflecting on his remarkable journey, which has taken him from early career highs to subsequent struggles and ultimately a remarkable redemption, which will see him head into Trondheim 2025 as one of the leading male medal contenders.
While a first World Cup podium would arrive in his debut campaign, in 2014-15, it was the following season where the then 20-year-old would truly make his mark with eight top-three finishes, together with a maiden victory and third in the overall standings.
They understandably led to him being identified as a key one-to-watch on the circuit, who would soon be challenging for regular major honors in the sport.
There would be significant successes in those early years, including individual silver, together with team gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, but those podium places were more sporadic than Forfang had anticipated.
To emphasis this point, between December 2018 and February 2024 the Norwegian won no individual World Cup medals and his only silverware would come via team contests.
“When I first got into the World Cup I was kind of young and naïve,” Forfang tells FIS.
“Maybe I felt like, this is how it should be, I should be fighting for podiums every single week, that was how my level was and I never thought it could be any worse than the level I showed when I first arrived into the World Cup.
Forfang continues; “I’m more humble now, after spending years fighting back to get on that level, I appreciate how difficult it is and what it takes.
“So, to now experience this type of jumping for a second time, and fight for podiums and victories again, it makes me super, super happy!”
During Forfang’s near-six-year absence from the World Cup podium he had produced a number of strong performances in qualifying, but had been unable to translate that into impressive first, as well as second round, competition jumps.
His results began to noticeably improve last season, with a long-awaited victory coming in Willingen (GER). It did not mark an immediate consistent return to the podium, but by the end of 2023/24 he had recorded a further win and a third-place finish.
After a strong summer he entered the current campaign optimistic about a sustaining a rank towards the top of the overall standings.
However, ninth and 14th in Lillehammer (NOR) were followed by 19th, 41st, 36th and 27th across subsequent events.
A move into the top-10 followed, before his first podium finish of the season was secured, with second, in Zakopane (POL) in mid-January, and then a run of five medals from eight World Cup events leading into his home World Championships.
“I think it's quite interesting, because I haven't done anything different three years,” she says with a laugh.
“I feel the ‘wind started to shift’ for my sake, it was in the World Championships in Planica (SLO) in 2023, because before that I had a couple of years where I were quite far behind and quite low.
“I now understand there can be some dips (in form) and that’s what happened now at the beginning of this season, but I knew my level was similar to last winter.
Forfang continues; “I’ve shown in the last couple of weeks I’m never far from my best, which is because of all the work we have done over a long time and the patience we have shown.”
Naturally his main focus, as it is for the majority of the field, is the Trondheim 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, where Forfang is desperate to perform, having imagined just this moment since he was a child.
“I've always been dreaming of a championship at home,” he tells FIS.
“I started to dream about it quite early because there was talk about the Olympics coming to Tromso in 2018, so I was little kid, around 2006 and I’ve been fighting for that dream of a medal at home ever since.
“Everyone has been talking about this World Championships at home for many years and I will be there as one of the favourites, which feels kind of surreal, but to be in the shape I am feels so good.”
Forfang believes the experience of his Olympic success in 2018 – and the attention it brought – will held him handle the burden and scrutiny he faces from an expectant public at Trondheim 2025.
“I'm much more robust now taking on all of these high-pressure situations,” he states.
“I feel I'm more capable now to handle this well than just a couple years ago., so yeah, I feel that I'm in in a very good place now to head on to these championships.”
The two-time Olympic medalist is also a big fan of the Granasen Ski Centre venue which will host the sport’s action and feels it will provide an exceptional setting for sell-out crowds.
“I feel that Trondheim has the best venue in the world as of right now,” he tells FIS.
“Everything is top modern and the hills are really good, so it’s everything I could have hoped for.”
Forfang, who missed out on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic after a positive test for Covid-19 on the eve of the Games, continues; “I’m at a stage in my career where championships are more important to me now than when I was a younger athlete.
“I’m hungry again, I want to be a ski jumper for many years, but I have a greater appreciation for the sport and the opportunities, so I’m excited to get out onto the hills in Trondheim.”
Trondheim 2025 - FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (NOR) - Program:
28 February
14.00 – Competition Start Women’s NH
1 March
17.00 – Competition Start Women's Team NH
20.30 – Start Qualification Men’s NH
2 March
17.00 – Competition Start Men's NH
5 March
16.00 – Competition Start Mixed Team LH
6 March
16.20 – Competition Start Men's Team LH
20.30 – Start Qualification Women's LH
7 March
12.15 – Start Qualification Men's LH
16.15 – Competition Start Women's LH
8 March
15.45 – Competition Start Men's LH
*all times are displayed in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change.
)
