Athlete Bios
Ski Jumping
Ammann jumped to unexpected gold in 2002
Last Updated: Friday, February 5, 2010 | 5:24 PM ET
New York Times for CBC Sports
Simon Ammann of Switzerland has emerged as one of the best jumpers in the world. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Getty Images)Baby-faced Simon Ammann of Switzerland, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Harry Potter, seems as if he has been jumping forever. In 2002 at his second Olympics and without a major victory on his résumé, he surprised the jumping world by winning the gold medal on both the normal hill and the large hill. That feat has been accomplished only one other time, by Finland's Matti Nykanen in 1988.
With those victories, Ammann became an instant celebrity in his home country and across Europe. He once served as a guest on a popular German talk show, where he kissed the cheek of pop music star Shakira. He also appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman.
At this point in his career, Amman seemed like he might be little more than a one-hit wonder, an athlete destined for trivia-question status. He slumped for several years and struggled mightily to defend his medals, finishing 15th and 38th in the two events at the 2006 Turin Games. He went nearly five years without winning a World Cup event.
Now 28, Ammann has re-emerged as one of the best jumpers in the world. He won a world championship in 2007 on the large hill (and a silver medal on the normal hill) and finished third on the normal hill in 2009. During last season's World Cup, he had 18 top-10 finishes (but no victories) in 20 events. He finished a career-best second overall.
At last season's World Cup event in Whistler, B.C., Ammann finished fourth and sixth in the two events. Considering the struggle he went through to resurrect his career in recent years, a similar finish in February would be a noble accomplishment. But given where Amman was eight years ago, it might be viewed with disappointment. Such is the curse of former Olympic champions.
