Janne Ahonen

Janne Ahonen
Personal information
Full name	Janne Petteri Ahonen
Born	May 11, 1977 (1977-05-11) Lahti, Finland
Height	1.84 m
Professional information
Club	Lahden Hiihtoseura
Skis	Atomic
Personal best	233.5 m
World Cup
Seasons	1992-2008, 2009-2011
Wins	36
Additional podiums	72
Total podiums	108
Medal record Men's Ski jumping Olympic Games Silver 2002 Salt Lake City Team large hill Silver 2006 Turin Team large hill World Championships Gold 1995 Thunder Bay Team large hill Gold 1997 Trondheim Individual normal hill Gold 1997 Trondheim Team large hill Gold 2003 Val di Fiemme Team large hill Gold 2005 Oberstdorf Individual large hill Silver 2001 Lahti Team large hill Silver 2001 Lahti Team normal hill Silver 2005 Oberstdorf Team large hill Bronze 2001 Lahti Individual large hill Bronze 2005 Oberstdorf Individual normal hill Ski flying World Championships Silver 1996 Bad Mitterndorf Individual Silver 2004 Planica Individual Silver 2004 Planica Team Silver 2006 Bad Mitterndorf Team Silver 2008 Oberstdorf Team Bronze 2000 Vikersund Individual Bronze 2008 Oberstdorf Individual
Updated on January 6, 2010.

Janne Petteri Ahonen ( pronunciation ) (born May 11, 1977 in Lahti, Finland) is a former Finnish ski jumper who competed in the World Cup between 1992 and 2011. He is often considered as one of the most successful athletes in the history of ski jumping.

Ahonen's most notable achievements include five World Championships (normal hill 1997, large hill 2005, team large hill 1995, 1997 and 2003), two World Cup overall victories (2002-2003 and 2004-2005) and a record-breaking five victories in the Four Hills Tournament (1998-1999, 2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2007-2008). He is the all-time leader in World Cup points, podiums (108) and Top 10 appearances (245). With 36 World Cup victories, Ahonen is the all-time third, behind Matti Nykänen (46) and Adam Małysz (39). In 2005, Ahonen was named the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year.

In 9 World Ski Championship Games, 9 Ski-Flying World Championship Games and 5 Olympic Games, Ahonen won a total of 19 medals, equalling the medal count of Matti Nykänen. Despite his success, Ahonen never won an individual Olympic medal placing 4th three times. In Olympic team competitions, he won two silver medals.

Ahonen announced his retirement from ski jumping on March 28, 2008. His farewell competition was held in Lahti on July 9, 2008.

After one season’s absence, Ahonen came back for two more seasons, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. The best achievement of Ahonen’s revived career was the second place in the Four Hills Tournament in 2009-2010.

During his ski jumping career, Ahonen was known for his apparent lack of emotion and was rarely seen smiling even on the podium. When asked for a reason, he responded “We came here to jump and not to smile”. In Finnish interviews Ahonen often made sarcastic comments with dry humour. The German press nicknamed Ahonen as “the Mask”, according to the plastic mask Ahonen wore in competitions in the late 1990’s. In Finland, Ahonen is often called “Kuningaskotka” (“The King Eagle”).

Drag racing

In addition to ski jumping, Ahonen has successfully competed in drag racing winning Finnish and Nordic Championships. In 2006, Ahonen set the new European Record.

Personal life

Ahonen is married to Tiia Ahonen. They have two sons, Mico (born 2001) and Milo (born 2008).

Achievements

Winter Olympic Games

• 2002 Winter Olympics
  • Silver - team large hill
• 2006 Winter Olympics
  • Silver - team large hill

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

• 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Gold - Team large hill
• 1997 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Gold - Individual normal hill
  • Gold - Team large hill
• 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Silver - Team normal hill
  • Bronze - Team large hill
  • Bronze - Individual large hill
• 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Gold - Team large hill
• 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Gold - Individual large hill
  • Silver - Team large hill
  • Bronze - Individual normal hill

Four Hills Tournament

• Nine wins, ten second places, nine third places and five overall victories along with three overall second places and two overall third places.
• 1994–1995 Four Hills Tournament
  • Victory at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • Overall third
• 1997–1998 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall third
• 1998–1999 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall victory (no individual wins)
• 1999–2000 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall second
• 2000–2001 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall second
• 2002–2003 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall victory
  • Victory at Innsbruck
• 2004–2005 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall victory
  • Wins at Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck
• 2005–2006 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall victory (shared with Jakub Janda)
  • Wins at Oberstdorf, Bischofshofen
• 2007–2008 Four Hills Tournament
  • Win at Bischofshofen (originally scheduled for Innsbruck)
  • Win at Bischofshofen
  • Overall victory
• 2009–2010 Four Hills Tournament
  • Overall second

FIS Ski Flying World Championships

• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 1996
  • Silver - Individual flying hill
• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2000
  • Bronze - Individual flying hill
• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2004
  • Silver - Individual flying hill
  • Silver - Team flying hill
• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2006
  • Silver - Team flying hill
• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2008
  • Silver - Team flying hill
  • Bronze - Individual flying hill

Ski jumping World Cup

• World Cup: 36 victories, 44 second places, 28 third places
• Summer Grand Prix: 5 victories, 6 second places, 2 third places
• Most podium positions of all jumpers (108)
• Most world cup points of all jumpers
• Six consecutive victories (ties the record with Matti Hautamäki, Thomas Morgenstern and Gregor Schlierenzauer)
• Longest jump in the world (fell on landing): 240 m (Planica 2005)

Overall rank

• 1992-93: 50.
• 1993-94: 10.
• 1994-95: 3.
• 1995-96: 3.
• 1996-97: 8.
• 1997-98: 9.
• 1998-99: 2.
• 1999-00: 3.
• 2000-01: 5.
• 2001-02: 15.
• 2002-03: 4.
• 2003-04: 1.
• 2004-05: 1.
• 2005-06: 2.
• 2006-07: 8.
• 2007-08: 3.
• 2008-09: -
• 2009-10: 11

Official hill records

• 11.01.2004 Liberec 139.0 m
• 12.12.2004 Harrachov 145.5 m
• 18.12.2004 Engelberg 141.0 m
• 09.01.2005 Willingen 152.0 m

World cup victories

1. Engelberg – December 19, 1993
2. Garmisch-Partenkirchen – January 1, 1995
3. Lillehammer – December 3, 1995
4. Kulm – February 10, 1996
5. Lahti – March 7, 1998
6. Chamonix – December 6, 1998
7. Harrachov (HS 142) – December 19, 1998
8. Harrachov (HS 142) – December 20, 1998
9. Engelberg – January 9, 1999
10. Zakopane – January 17, 1999
11. Harrachov (HS 142) – February 7, 1999
12. Villach – December 12, 1999
13. Lahti – March 4, 2000
14. Engelberg – December 21, 2002
15. Innsbruck – January 4, 2003
16. Liberec – January 10, 2004
17. Liberec – January 11, 2004
18. Willingen – February 14, 2004
19. Kuusamo – November 27, 2004
20. Kuusamo – November 28, 2004
21. Trondheim – December 4, 2004
22. Trondheim – December 5, 2004
23. Harrachov (HS 142) – December 12, 2004
24. Engelberg – December 18, 2004
25. Engelberg – December 19, 2004
26. Oberstdorf (HS 137) – December 29, 2004
27. Garmisch-Partenkirchen – January 1, 2005
28. Innsbruck – January 3, 2005
29. Willingen – January 9, 2005
30. Titisee-Neustadt – January 22, 2005
31. Oberstdorf (HS 137) – December 29, 2005
32. Bischofshofen – January 6, 2006
33. Bischofshofen (replaced: Innsbruck) – January 5, 2008
34. Bischofshofen – January 6, 2008
35. Harrachov (HS 205) – January 20, 2008
36. Kuopio – March 4, 2008

References

• FIS Newsflash 161. January 9, 2008 on Ahonen's fifth Four Hills Tournament victory win.
• Janne Ahonen at the International Ski Federation
• Janne Ahonen German fan page
• News about Janne ending his ski-jumping career.
• Janne Ahonen Farewell Competition 9.7.2008 in Lahti