A chat with Torino 2006 Olympic champion -Thomas Morgenstern

A chat with Torino 2006 Olympic champion -Thomas Morgenstern

Photo credits Kathrin Müller © Skijumpingitaly

I personally couldn’t be more happy to offer to you -my dear readers/ followers -one of the interviews I have looked forward to do most for a long time now. The man himself is an idol for the young ladies but also for all the young guys, who want to emulate him because of what he achieved despite his young age (26).

He won THREE OLYMPIC gold medals, 9 medals at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (7 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and 5 medals at the SKI FLYING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (3 gold, 2 bronze). He is two-times overall WORLD CUP winner (2008 /2011) with 98 podiums ( 71 individual, 27 with the team), 37 victories (22 individual, 15 with the team) , 36 second places (29 individual, 8 with the team) and 25 third places ( 20 individual, 5 with the team). Those are the numbers, that make Thomas Morgenstern’s career so amazing, and this is not over yet, with these numbers, which are actually meant to grow very fast in the next future. SkiJumpingItaly had the pleasure to bring to you many interviews with ski jumpers in the past. But bringing to you such a huge figure, like Thomas is in this sport, is something we’re very proud of. Skijumpingitaly: So Thomas, thank you for conceding to us some of your time, we are all aware you’re in the busiest time of your life at the moment. Only a few days ago you shared lovely news on your official Facebook page -Thomas1Morgenstern - that you are about to become a dad, how are you feeling about it? Are you excited? (Quick note, the interview has been taken few days after he revealed he was about to become a dad)

ThomasMorgenstern: Of course I’m excited but I’m looking forward to the maybe most interesting and lovely time of my life!

SJI: Do you and your girlfriend/fiancé know, whether it’s a boy or a girl?

TM: Sure we know (smile) !

SJI: You’re just 26 years old but you had an amazing career so far! What is your secret, except of course your incredible talent in what you do?

TM: There is no secret! I have the luck to grow up in a very sporty family and I had the chance to try different kinds of sports. Ski jumping is that kind of sport where I found myself! It‘s not just a hobby, it‘s passion. The feeling in the air when I have a good jump is just incredible and absolutely fantastic. I just try to find the way to get these feelings for many times. I never give up, always looking forward and try to work for that gift of freedom!

SJI: How did your passion for this sport begin?

TM: I started ski jumping in summer 1996! I was a very lucky child to grow up in a very sporty family. So I had the chance to try different kind of sports like football, skiing, cross country and of course ski jumping. I took part in the “Toni Innauer Ski Festival“ several times where I had to ski down a giant slalom, run some kilometers with my cross country skis and jump over a 20 meter jumping hill with normal alpine skis. I found my passion in the last part and asked my father to drive to Villach. There I made my first steps in ski jumping. When I was young I also built several small jumping hills with my best friend near my home where I grew up - that was pretty funny and I miss that time!

SJI: Did you have any idol, when you were a kid? Someone you looked up at?

TM: Sure, Kazuyoshi Funaki from Japan and Andi Goldberger

SJI: Let’s move back with the clock to Torino 2006, what are your memories? How does it feel to know you actually won, what every single sportsmen/women dreams of: A gold medal at the Olympics?

TM: I have a lot of memories when I look back to maybe the biggest victory in my career. Torino 2006 was very special. My first Olympic winter games. It was absolutely crazy. Until the skiflying world championships, the season went a bit up and down but in the championships I found my shape and won the Bronze medal in the individual competition. Then we had some more World Cup competitions before the Games and maybe the most important one was the last in Willingen. After my second place in Willingen I became very self confident and knew everything will be possible in Torino. Training went very well and I was second after the first round on the small hill. In the second round, I had no chance because of bad wind conditions and became 9th. I was so close but too far away to get an olympic medal. I was very angry, but after some minutes I was completely focused into the big hill event. In the big hill I was second after the first round as well - behind my room mate Andi Kofler. Then I had the jump of my life. Kofi as well. I thought that Andi will be olympic champion but then the speaker said that I‘m the gold medalist. Only 0.1 points between me and Andi. I had the jump of my life and the luck of my life. I‘m so thankful for that day. I can‘t describe the feelings which I had. It was absolutely crazy.

Photo credits Kathrin Müller © Skijumpingitaly

SJI: What drives you to still have the same hunger you had back in the day, despite all the success you already had in this sport? Are your expectations still the same although having won so much?

TM: Of course I have the same hunger. Maybe it‘s a bit different to the other years but to optimize my jump every day is a big challenge. The best motivation for me is, to find that feeling to enjoy ski jumping in different kind of ways. To get back the feeling after a great jump which you cannot buy anywhere that‘s the reason why I‘m working hard everyday.

SJI: Are there still some goals you want to achieve or are you jumping just for the pleasure of it?

TM: Sure I have some goals in my mind. Especially the Olympic Games in Sochi!

SJI: How important is your mind for being a ski-jumper? Does it hold you back to think too much before the take-off and after?

TM: Of course it‘s very important but more important is the to have the right feeling!

SJI: Last year you have been the deserved winner but this year we missed you in the Summer Grand Prix. What were the reasons for your decision to not take part in?

TM: The most important reason was to find a new way to break out of the normal standard rhythms which I had the last years. I had a different plan to prepare myself for the winter season, so there was no space for competitions this summer until the last two GPs in Hinzenbach and Klingenthal.

SJI: Let us talk a bit more about this upcoming season. What kind of approach did you have during the summer to prepare yourself for the next winter season?

TM: This summer I had a different kind of preparation. I used a break because it was maybe too much in the last years. I had a kind of “over training“ and wanted to find a new way. Together with my coaches and my management we designed a new plan for training and different things. I started ski jumping very late and only took part in the last two summer GPs. I know that I‘m on the right way and believe in it. It‘s getting step by step and feels really good how it is right now.

SJI: This is a year full of changes, not only for you, but for all the jumpers, starting with the new jumping suit to the mixed team-competitions with the ladies. What’s your thought about those two important matters?

TM: Nearly every year there are some changes. So, it doesn’t matter because everybody has more or less problems with changes. We have a lot of time, from April till November, to find the right way, position, technic and so on. As you said, it’s the same for everyone! At the beginning of my summer training, I had some problems with those suits as well but now it’s working and I really can’t remember the old one. The new suit is much more comfortable and maybe more aerodynamic. You become faster in the air, so I’m very looking forward to the first ski flying competition. Therefore I’m very excited! Mixed team Competition with the ladies, that’s awesome! I’m really looking forward for that event. I saw the two summer competitions on TV and I think, this event, has a lot of potential. I’m in a really strong team, so it’ll be a really hard fight for those two free places. Hopefully nothing gonna happen.

SJI: Let’s take a look ahead to the WSC in Predazzo next year and the Olympics 2014 in Sochi. How are you preparing yourself for these big occasions? What are your goals for those?

TM: My main target will be the olympic games in Sochi. I‘m really looking forward to my third games and I know how it feels to win a gold medal but I have only one day (big and normal hill), one chance, the best two jumps in my life and for sure a lot of luck! But the WSC in Predazzo are very important as well. There is no special kind of preparation because it‘s very difficult in ski jumping to prepare myself for just one day/week. So I start believing in it and keep on working hard for the right feeling which I need. ...and then, everything is possible.

SJI: Sharen from the UK has asked us to forward the following question to you: “I am interested in the physical side, for instance what part of the body suffers most being a jumper? And what treatments do you have? Does your knees give out first? Or your ankles? ” And to complete the question: Did your body give you any health troubles until now?

TM: No, I‘m very thankful to have no troubles with my body at the moment!

SJI: What kind of relationship do you have to your fans and what do you want them to know about the man behind the sportive results?

TM: The contact with fans and friends of ski jumping is very important for me. I try to stay in touch with them as close as I can on my web site(www.thomasmorgenstern.com) on my facebook and twitter page. By the way, special thanks to all my fans. I get so much energy from all of in different kind of ways.

SJI: I guess, especially because you are a ski-jumper, your hobbies show us, that you are impressed by speed and flying. What is your dream regarding flying with a sporting airplane?

TM: Let‘s see what will be in the future! I dream things and say "Why not“?

SJI: And we know you like motorsports very much, will it become your second life once you are done with ski-jumping?

TM: Let‘s see what will be in some years. Motorsport is a big passion for me and I‘m very thankful to get these possibilities from Red Bull to drive a Formula 1 Car like this summer. They realized a really big dream for me. Thank‘s for that adventure. Interview by Consuelo Conte and Peggy Kierstan @KokkaMufc @pikayartist

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