Simon Ammann Swiss ski jumper Date of Birth: 25.06.1981 Country: Switzerland

Biography of Simon Ammann

Simon Ammann is a Swiss ski jumper, three-time Olympic champion, world champion, and winner of World Cup stages. He made his debut in professional sports in the 1997-1998 season. Ammann's first professional jump took place on December 29, 1997, at a World Cup stage in Oberstdorf, where he not only qualified but also finished in 15th place.

Ammann was born in the family of Margit and Heinrich Ammann and was one of five children. His parents owned a small farm in Untervassere, a small village near Grabser. Ammann describes this place as heaven on earth and plans to return there once he finishes his sports career. In his childhood, there was no television on his parents' farm, so Ammann started participating in sports competitions to earn some money. Near Untervassere, there is a place called Wildhaus, where Ammann began his ski jumping training at the age of 10.

Ammann's professional career started with a stage of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, where the sixteen-year-old jumper surprised many renowned athletes with his talent and skills, finishing in 15th place. This happened on December 29, 1997. Although the start of his professional career was decent, his performances in the rest of the year cannot be counted as successful. He only scored 22 points throughout the season and finished in 70th place in the overall World Cup standings.

In his first year as a professional, Ammann qualified for the Winter Olympics in Nagano. However, he did not perform well, finishing 35th on the K-90 hill, 39th on the K-120 hill in individual events, and 6th in team competitions. This season remains the worst in Ammann's sports career. He only participated in four World Cup stages throughout the year. In Oberstdorf, he finished 47th, in Engelberg - 33rd, in Falun - 37th, and in Oslo - 50th. As a result, Ammann did not score any points, which prevented him from achieving any ranking position.

The 1999-2000 season was not stable for Ammann. However, his frequent qualifications pleased his coaches and fans. Notable performances include 12th place in Val di Fiemme and 5th place in Hakuba, where the young athlete competed on par with Janne Ahonen and Adam Malysz. Ammann scored 46 points in the World Cup and finished in 45th place overall.

The peak of Ammann's career came in the 2001-2002 season. Starting with a modest performance in Kuopio, where he finished only 41st, he consistently placed no lower than 15th. Finally, on December 16, 2000, at a World Cup stage in Engelberg, he stepped onto the podium for the first time. He then achieved impressive performances in Predazzo and Oberstdorf, finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively. On March 17, 2002, during the final stage of the World Cup in Oslo, Simon Ammann secured his long-awaited victory. He accumulated 628 points throughout the season and achieved a remarkable 7th place in the World Cup.

However, Ammann's breakthrough came at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he won two gold medals. He expressed his surprise at his long jumps but admitted that he had never expected to win. Ammann's Olympic success was a dream come true for him.

After his Olympic triumph, Ammann experienced a period of depression that affected his performance. In the 2002-2003 season, he achieved unsatisfactory results in the World Cup, finishing in 28th place overall. However, he took a break from the World Cup due to a head and back injury, which allowed him to rest and recharge.

Ammann's performance improved in the following years, and he achieved consistent results on the ski jumping hills. He won multiple World Cup stages and became a bronze medalist at the World Championships in Sapporo in 2007. In the 2009-2010 season, he competed closely with Gregor Schlierenzauer, ultimately finishing first in the overall World Cup standings.

Simon Ammann is not very open about his personal life, but it is known that he has a girlfriend named Jana, who resides in Finland. He has brown hair and gray-blue eyes. Ammann is also passionate about music, snowboarding, mountain biking, and skydiving. He completed his engineering studies in Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 2006. Ammann's favorite color is green, and he is a fan of the music group Metallica. He holds the record for his personal best jump of 219 meters, which he achieved in Planica during the 2006-2007 season.