Dear sports
crazy people of
I decided
to let you know about the course of my ski jumping career now instead of
earlier promised date of May. The reason for this is articles released by a
certain magazine considering my career, plus I want the upcoming Finnish
Championship event to be held as Finnish Championship, not as farewell event
for Janne Ahonen. That type of an event will follow later on.
The
decision of giving up ski jumping has been brewing in my head for quite long
already. The past season made the hard decision, if not easy, at least easier
for me. The motivation for competing has not disappeared, but my motivation and
self discipline to practice as hard as needed to succeed on this level is not
there anymore, not to struggle through another season of practicing.
For many
successful athletes one of the goals outside the sports is to end their career
on a high level, even at the very top. In my opinion I am currently at that
level that fills this part of my goals!
Sports has
been and will always be a huge part of my life, but there is also so much more
to my life that needs my attention. This decision helps me tend to those things
on a deeper level than ever before. The most important of all is my family,
that will grow by one little member during the course of this May.
On this
occasion, I want to thank my family, my parents and my long time trainer Ari
Saukko for their irreplaceable support that I have got from them through my
whole career, from the very start to this day. I also want to thank my training
mates and the great people of Lahden Hiihtoseura, for being there through the
phases of my career. A warm thank you goes to my partners, sponsors and
everybody I have co-operated with - everybody who has even in a little way
affected my ski jumping career. The sports loving people of
Citizen
Janne Ahonen – former ski jumper
