Janne Ahonen

Janne Ahonen
Personal information
Full name Janne Petteri Ahonen
Born May 11, 1977
Lahti, Finland
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Professional information
Club Lahden Hiihtoseura
Skis Fischer
Personal best 233.5 m (766 ft)
Planica, 20 Mar 2005
World Cup
Seasons 1993–2008
2010–2011
2014–present
Wins 36 (+10 Team)
Additional podiums 72 (+15 Team)
Total podiums 108 (+25 Team)
Overall titles 2 (2004, 2005)
Updated on 28 Mar 2015.

Janne Petteri Ahonen ( pronunciation ) (born 11 May 1977) is a Finnish ski jumper.

Career

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 (2002–03 and 2004–05) and a record-breaking five victories in the Four Hills Tournament (1998–99, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2007–08). He is the all-time leader in World Cup points, podiums (108) and top 10 appearances (245). With 36 World Cup victories, Ahonen has the fourth-most behind Gregor Schlierenzauer, Matti Nykänen and Adam Małysz. In 2005, Ahonen was named the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year.

In nine World Ski Championship Games, nine Ski-Flying World Championship Games and five Olympic Games, Ahonen won a total of 19 medals, equalling the medal count of Matti Nykänen – although most of them are team, not individual. Despite his success, Ahonen has never won an individual Olympic medal, placing fourth three times. In Olympic team competitions, he won two silver medals.

Ahonen announced his retirement from ski jumping on March 28, 2008, with a farewell competition being held in Lahti on July 9, 2008. After one season's absence, Ahonen came back for two more seasons in 2009–10 and 2010–11. The best achievement of Ahonen's revived career was a second place in the Four Hills Tournament in 2009–10.

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 "the Mask", in reference to the distinctive plastic masks he wore in competitions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In Finland, Ahonen is often called "Kuningaskotka" ("The King Eagle").

On January 10, 2013, Ahonen announced that he would come out of retirement for the second time, with the aim of winning a medal in an individual event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

World Cup

Standings

Season Overall SF JP 4H NT
1992–93 50 – N/A 46 N/A
1993–94 10 12 N/A 16 N/A
1994–95 3rd 5 N/A 3rd N/A
1995–96 3rd 2nd 5 6 N/A
1996–97 8 7 9 18 4
1997–98 9 11 8 3rd 9
1998–99 2nd 6 1st 1st 15
1999–00 3rd 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st
2000–01 5 6 N/A 2nd 36
2001–02 15 N/A N/A 26 6
2002–03 4 N/A N/A 1st 13
2003–04 1st N/A N/A 5 4
2004–05 1st N/A N/A 1st 5
2005–06 2nd N/A N/A 1st 24
2006–07 8 N/A N/A 8 4
2007–08 3rd N/A N/A 1st 4
2009–10 11 10 N/A 2nd 51
2010–11 44 – N/A 24 N/A
2013–14 31 – N/A 23 N/A
2014–15 58 46 N/A – N/A

Wins

No. Season Date Place Hill Size
1 1993-94 19 Dec 1993 Switzerland Engelberg Gross-Titlis-Schanze K-120 LH
2 1994-95 1 Jan 1995 Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen Große Olympiaschanze K-107 LH
3 1995-96 3 Dec 1995 Norway Lillehammer Lysgårdsbakken K-120 LH
4 10 Feb 1996 Austria Tauplitz/Bad Mitterndorf Kulm K-185 FH
5 1997-98 7 Mar 1998 Finland Lahti Salpausselkä K-114 LH
6 1998-99 6 Dec 1998 France Chamonix Le Mont K-95 NH
7 19 Dec 1998 Czech Republic Harrachov Čerťák K-120 LH
8 20 Dec 1998 Czech Republic Harrachov Čerťák K-120 LH
9 9 Jan 1999 Switzerland Engelberg Gross-Titlis-Schanze K-120 LH
10 17 Jan 1999 Poland Zakopane Wielka Krokiew K-116 LH
11 7 Feb 1999 Czech Republic Harrachov Čerťák K-120 LH
12 1999-00 12 Dec 1999 Austria Villach Villacher Alpenarena K-90 (night) NH
13 4 Dec 2000 Finland Lahti Salpausselkä K-90 (night) NH
14 2002-03 21 Dec 2002 Switzerland Engelberg Gross-Titlis-Schanze K-125 LH
15 4 Jan 2003 Austria Innsbruck Bergiselschanze K-120 LH
16 10 Jan 2004 Czech Republic Liberec Ještěd A K-120 LH
17 11 Jan 2004 Czech Republic Liberec Ještěd A K-120 LH
18 14 Feb 2004 Germany Willingen Mühlenkopfschanze K-130 LH
19 2004-05 27 Nov 2004 Finland Kuusamo Rukatunturi HS 142 (night) LH
20 28 Nov 2004 Finland Kuusamo Rukatunturi HS 142 LH
21 4 Dec 2004 Norway Trondheim Granåsen HS 131 (night) LH
22 5 Dec 2004 Norway Trondheim Granåsen HS 131 LH
23 12 Dec 2004 Czech Republic Harrachov Čerťák HS 142 LH
24 18 Dec 2004 Switzerland Engelberg Gross-Titlis-Schanze HS 137 LH
25 19 Dec 2004 Switzerland Engelberg Gross-Titlis-Schanze HS 137 LH
26 29 Dec 2004 Germany Oberstdorf Schattenbergschanze HS 137 (night) LH
27 1 Jan 2005 Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen Große Olympiaschanze HS 125 LH
28 3 Jan 2005 Austria Innsbruck Bergiselschanze HS 130 LH
29 9 Jan 2005 Germany Willingen Mühlenkopfschanze HS 145 LH
30 22 Jan 2005 Germany Titisee-Neustadt Hochfirstschanze HS 142 LH
31 2005-06 29 Dec 2005 Germany Oberstdorf Schattenbergschanze HS 137 (night) LH
32 6 Jan 2006 Austria Bischofshofen Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze HS 140 (night) LH
33 2007-08 5 Jan 2008 Austria Bischofshofen Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze HS 140 LH
34 6 Jan 2008 Austria Bischofshofen Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze HS 140 (night) LH
35 20 Jan 2008 Czech Republic Harrachov Čerťák HS 205 FH
36 4 Mar 2008 Finland Kuopio Puijo HS 127 (night) LH

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).

References

    External links

    Olympic Games
    Preceded by
    Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi    		 Flagbearer for  Finland
    Nagano 1998     		Succeeded by
    Toni Nieminen