44-year-old Jan Ahonen is back on the hill again. But this time, he has no ambition to fight for the top places in the World Cup, he wants to enjoy during the Finnish championship, which will be held in Lahti in two weeks.
– Let me make it clear: I will never stop jumping – said Ahonen in October 2018, when it became clear that the outstanding jump would be missing at the start of next winter’s World Cup competition. I won’t give up the joy of my life and I’ll jump whenever I feel like it. However, my career has come to an end. Of course, many Finns will be pleased with my decision. Especially those who were ashamed of my last World Cup participation. Now he added that they would not feel embarrassed anymore.
In March 2019, Janne went to Ruka to participate in the National Championship. He was going to sing there with his son Miku. The long trip to the north turned out to be fruitless, because the competition was canceled due to difficult weather conditions. This time around, the five-time winner of the 4-Hills-Tournament doesn’t have to bother too much, as the competition for national precedence will take place in his hometown, Lahti.
– I have never made a decision to break up the hill and never will – said Yle TV today. – A few days ago I learned that the Finnish tournament will be held in Lahti in mid-January. I started wondering if I should take part in it. Two days later I trained on a hill in Lahti. I heard the opinion that from the start I wanted to rally our young players to work harder. I have no such intention. I want to participate in this contest just to have fun.
Ahonen announced a break with vaulting for the first time in 2008, but returned to competition a year and a half later. Al-Hazam said again in 2011, but this time he did not stay long in his retirement from the sport, so he resumed his career before the 2013/2014 Olympic season. In 2018, for the third time, he officially announced the end of his career. For the past few years, he has been a member of the Finnish joint team responsible for equipment issues.
This year he changed the industry and took on his second passion professionally – cars. He found a job with a mobile home dealer. The spirit of the recent changes in Ahonen’s career is Mika Bohjonen, the 47-year-old world-famous opera singer, who is also the holder of the very prestigious title of King of Tango in Finland. In addition to his musical activities, the artist also owns a company that produces and sells mobile homes.
Two-time Crystal Ball winner recently told Ilta Sanomat: “Jan Ahonen, who once worked as a Finnish national hero, is no longer around. I’ve been a ski-jumping star for many years, and now I’m a craftsman and trader. It liberates me and makes me happy.”
“Bacon scholar. Incurable social media ninja. Professional travel aficionado. Beer buff.”
