Slovenian ski jumping champion Peter Prevc bid farewell to his ski jumping career on Sunday in Planica. He finished sixth in his last competition. The 31-year-old ended his career with 24 World Cup wins. He was part of 12 Slovenian team victories with his compatriots, won 4 medals at the Olympic Games, 3 at the World Championships, and stood on the podium five times in the World Championships.
“It was business as usual until the end of the competition. I am very grateful that they let me be, that the rhythm of the race was the same as every time before, and that I got a good result in the last race,” said Prevc, who was greeted at the end of the outrun by his family, friends and others who supported him during his championship career.
After his last jump, the International Ski Federation suspended the competition for a few minutes, allowing the Slovenian champion a moment of glory in which his rich 15-year career came into focus to the cheers of 19,000 fans.
As he explained to the media, the whole match ran as usual. He only started to realise that it was his last jump at the top of the start platform. “I have to admit, it hit me then. When I got to the top of the ski jump with my skis and looked down, it hit me that this is really the last time.”
Peter Prevc finished fifth after the first series, but in the final, he flew 226.5 metres to finish his career in sixth place. Austria’s Daniel Huber convincingly won the competition, while Peter’s brother Domen Prevc came second.
The Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) also thanked Prevc for his sporting successes, which have brought joy to the whole country.
Ž. K.
