Jens Weißflog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jens Weißflog |
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Jens Weißflog (2017)
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| Country |  East Germany (1980–90) Germany (1990–1996) |
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| Born | 21 July 1964 Erlabrunn, East Germany |
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| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 201 m (659 ft) Kulm, 9–11 February 1996 |
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| World Cup career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 1981 1983–1996 |
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| Individual wins | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team wins | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. podiums | 73 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team podiums | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. starts | 191 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team starts | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 1 (1984) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Four Hills titles | 4 (1984, 1985, 1991, 1996) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on 10 February 2016. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jens Weißflog (born 21 July 1964) is a famous former ski jumper from Germany. He started his career in East Germany and later competed for a united Germany. Many people consider him one of the best ski jumpers ever.
He has won many important titles. These include two Olympic gold medals and two World Championship gold medals. He also won the overall World Cup title once.
Contents
Jens Weißflog's Amazing Career
Jens Weißflog was born in Erlabrunn, a town in Saxony, Germany. He was often called "Floh," which means "flea" in German. This nickname came from his small size and light body.
Early Wins and Olympic Success
Jens Weißflog became famous when he was just 19 years old. In the 1983/84 season, he won the Four Hills Tournament. This is a very important competition in ski jumping.
That same winter, he also won the overall World Cup title. Then, he won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. This was for the normal hill event.
Staying at the Top for Years
What makes Jens Weißflog's career so special is how long he stayed successful. He competed at the highest level for twelve years! During this time, Germany changed from East Germany to a united country. Also, ski jumping techniques changed a lot.
Ski jumpers used to use the "parallel technique." But around 1993, the "V-style" became popular. This new style helped jumpers go much further. Jens Weißflog learned the new V-style and kept winning.
More Olympic Gold Medals
Ten years after his first Olympic win, Jens Weißflog won two more gold medals. This happened at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. He won gold in both the individual large hill and the team large hill events.
During the team event, there was a moment that caused some talk. Before the last Japanese jumper had finished, Jens Weißflog congratulated the Japanese team. However, the Japanese jumper did not perform well. This meant Germany won the gold medal instead. Some people in the crowd were not happy about this.
Retirement and Four Hills Record
Jens Weißflog ended his career in 1996. He made history by becoming the first ski jumper to win the Four Hills Tournament four times. Only Janne Ahonen from Finland has won it more times (five times). Jens Weißflog also finished second in this competition five times. After this great achievement, he stopped competing professionally.
World Championship Achievements
Jens Weißflog also won many medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
- He won two gold medals in the individual normal hill (in 1985 and 1989).
- He earned three silver medals: one in the individual large hill (1989) and two in the team large hill (1984 and 1995).
- He also took home four bronze medals: two in the individual large hill (1991 and 1993) and two in the team large hill (1985 and 1991).
He also won two medals at the FIS Ski Flying World Championships. He got a silver medal in 1985 and a bronze medal in 1990.
Jens Weißflog won the ski jumping competition at the Holmenkollen ski festival twice (1989, 1990). In 1991, he received the Holmenkollen medal. This is a very special award in Nordic skiing.
Life After Ski Jumping
Today, Jens Weißflog owns a hotel in his hometown of Oberwiesenthal. He also works as a main ski jump commentator for the German TV station ZDF. This means he still stays connected to the sport he loves!
Images for kids
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Jens Weißflog in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Jens Weißflog para niños
