Simon Ammann accepts his non-selection for the Winter Games. Rather, he is annoyed that he is currently unable to convert his potential into flying distance.
26.01.2026, 18:30
SDA
"I'm not interested in number 8," said the Toggenburg native shortly before Christmas during the World Cup week in Engelberg. This statement seems credible. What good would an eighth Olympic participation be to a four-time Olympic champion if he wasn't satisfied with his performance there?
The 44-year-old ticks differently. Ski jumping is a highly complex sport, and it is precisely this challenge that appeals to him. The take-off on ice has to be perfectly timed, the coordination in the flight transition has to be right, the flight position has to be aerodynamically optimal. Even a small mistake, a wrong inclination in flight or a lack of fine-tuning in the material immediately costs the decisive meters. "I like solving these tasks," emphasized Ammann. And it annoys him when he doesn't get it right.
Enjoying the competition
Ammann can take a lot of positives from the battle for an Olympic ticket. The Swiss long jumpers are more diversified than before. With Gregor Deschwanden, Sandro Hauswirth, Killian Peier, Felix Trunz, Juri Kesseli, Yanick Wasser and himself, a septet fought for the three Olympic tickets. "That's good for us as a team. We can maintain a broad team," said the veteran. This situation is pleasing. "Those who go to Predazzo will go. But that's not so relevant for me," he added.
At the start of the season, Ammann estimated his chances of winning his eighth Winter Games at 80 percent. In Engelberg, when asked about a possible participation in the Olympics, he said: "It's already been lower," and laughed out loud.
It's not just gold that counts
Ammann is repeatedly criticized for missing out on retirement. At least to the outside world, he takes this in his stride. The missed end to his career is only true if you link his retirement to a major victory, which he does not consider necessary, he has already explained in numerous interviews. For him, it's not just gold that counts, but also passion, willpower and the joy of doing things.
With this in mind, it is unlikely that he will retire immediately, if he ever officially announces it at all. Ammann is a man with many commitments - family, professional and sporting. His life is not just about ski jumping. He describes top-class sport as a project that still fulfills him at the age of 44.
