French athlete Coline Mattel announced on Facebook her retirement from her active ski jumping career.
“It may not come as a surprise for some of you but it’s a news I wanted to share with you. I decided to end my ski jumping career. It wasn’t an easy decision but after 15 years of jumping and 11 of international competition, I think I’ve reached the end of my story as an athlete”, writes the 22-years-old on her Facebook account. She continued: “I will take my last official jump on Sunday, probably with a big pinch in my heart but without any regrets. I had the best years of my life thanks to ski jumping; intense emotions, friendships, joy, sorrow, pain, victories, medals, defeats, sacrifices, fear, doubts, relief, happiness, all of those feelings I had through this years I lived them at the most.”
Coline Mattel tells that ski jumping had a big impact on her life and made her the person she is today. On her announcement on Facebook, Mattel also talks about the situation and development of women ski jumping.
“I grew up with ski jumping”, she says, “I watched women ski jumping fight to have the same rights and honours as men. Even if there is still a long way to go until ski flying, equal prize money or team competitions in big events, I have faith in the amazing athletes who make this sport live. I am proud to have taken part in this fight and written a little piece of history.”
The young French had her debut in the Ladies Continental Cup in 2007 in Schonach, Germany, at the age of 11. In 2011, Mattel made her debut in the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway. In the same year, she won the gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Otepää, Estonia, and the bronze medal at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway.
She had her first World Cup victory in Sochi. Russia, in the season 2012/13 where she won equal in points with Austrian Daniela Iraschko. Coline Mattel wrote history during the Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi: At the first-ever Olympic competition of the ladies from the normal hill, she stepped on the podium and won the bronze medal.
Picture: Coline Mattel
Carolin Erbe
Newsskijumping 