Simon Ammann Swiss national team omission, Digi Mart USA News: Ski jumping icon Simon Ammann, 45, has been removed for now from the preliminary Swiss national team squad for the first four events of the season. The decision is a serious setback for the four-time Olympic champion, who first competed in a World Cup event in 1997.
The World Cup winter begins on November 20 in Lillehammer, Norway. The Swiss Ski Association announced its decision on Thursday.
According to Swiss media reports, the nominations of Gregor Deschwanden, Sandro Hauswirth, Juri Kesseli and Kilian Peier had already been settled internally. Ammann, Remo Imhof and Felix Trunz competed for the final spot.
Imhof received the nod and will compete in Norway. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, Swiss national coach Bine Norcic said: “Whoever jumps best in training gets nominated.
What happened before doesn’t interest me.”
Because the squad covers the first four events, Ammann will also miss the competitions in Ruka (November 28 and 29), Wisla (December 4 to 6) and Titisee-Neustadt (December 11 to 13). The home event in Engelberg (December 18 to 20), before Christmas, offers the Swiss Ski Association four additional starting spots, and Ammann could be included then.
Until then, he is expected to compete in Continental Cup events, the second-highest international competition level in ski jumping.
Ammann made Olympic history in 2002 in Salt Lake City, when he became the first Swiss athlete to win gold, dominating the normal hill and large hill competitions. Those were also his first career wins in ski jumping.
Eight years later in Vancouver, he won two individual gold medals, becoming the first ski jumper to win four individual Olympic gold medals.
