End of an Era: Three-Time Olympic Champion Kamil Stoch Retires from Ski Jumping

Kamil Stoch ended his ski jumping career on Sunday, March 29, 2026, finishing 30th in the final World Cup competition of the season in Planica, Slovenia, with a last jump of 190 meters. The three-time Olympic champion, who began his World Cup career on January 17, 2004, in Zakopane, closed more than 22 years of competition at the Gorišek Brothers Large Hill in front of a crowd that had gathered specifically to witness his farewell. His wife, Ewa Bilan-Stoch, gave him the signal to start his final jump by waving a flag from the coaches' stand — a gesture Stoch said he did not see in the moment but learned of only afterward. After landing, he threw his skis aside to bow to the audience, an act he later clarified was practical rather than symbolic. The scene drew an immediate outpouring of emotion from fans and public figures across Poland and beyond.

Stoch speaks of freedom after 22-year battle Stoch did not conceal the mix of relief and exhaustion he felt at the finish of his final competition. He had entered the last round in last place after a first-series jump of 193 meters, and only the worse performance of Germany's Felix Hoffmann kept him from elimination before the final round. His 190-meter jump in the deciding series was not enough to improve his standing, but he advanced to the "30" — the cutoff for the final — and completed his career on his own terms. „I fought the biggest battle probably in my entire career. It was not going well, but finally I am free. Free from my ambitions, from hyping myself up that it is supposed to be as I want. I made it to the end and I fought” — Kamil Stoch via wpolityce.pl He had aimed to clear 200 meters on the hill where in 2017 he set his personal best of 251.5 meters, but fell short of that target. „I feel most of all happiness and joy that I held out until the end. Now I am starting a new life” — Kamil Stoch via wpolityce.pl

Guard of honor, coaches, and a flag-waving farewell After Stoch landed from his final jump, members of the Ewenement Zakopane ski school, which he and his wife co-founded, formed a guard of honor on the landing slope. His Polish national team colleagues, staff members, fans, and athletes from other nations joined in the tribute. Standing alongside Ewa Bilan-Stoch in the coaches' nest were former head coaches Stefan Horngacher, Grzegorz Sobczyk, Michal Doleżal, and Maciej Maciusiak — men who had shaped different phases of his career. Horngacher has coached the German team since 2019, and Sobczyk currently works with Bulgarian jumper Wladimir Zografski, which brought both coaches naturally to Planica for the season finale. Ewa Bilan-Stoch shared a photograph on Instagram showing herself holding a white-and-red flag flanked by the row of coaches, prompting an immediate wave of emotional responses from fans. Earlier in the season, a special farewell ceremony had taken place in Zakopane with the participation of Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

Kamil Stoch's World Cup debut came on January 17, 2004, in Zakopane, where the then-17-year-old jumped 105.5 meters and finished 49th. He earned his first World Cup prize money in the 2004/2005 season, finishing seventh in Predazzo for 1,000 CHF. His career achievements include three individual Olympic gold medals, two world championship titles, two overall World Cup victories, and three Four Hills Tournament victories. He began his career during the era of Adam Małysz and, according to reporting by sport.interia.pl, ultimately surpassed his childhood idol in terms of career achievements.

Over 1.6 million francs earned across a 22-year World Cup span According to data published on the official FIS website, Stoch earned a total of 1,616,375 Swiss francs in World Cup prize money over the course of his career, equivalent to over 7.5 million Polish zlotys at current exchange rates. His most lucrative single season was 2016/2017, when he collected 187,400 CHF while finishing second in the overall standings — more than in seasons when he won the Crystal Globe, including 147,500 CHF in 2014 and 178,800 CHF in 2018. In his final 2025/2026 season, Stoch earned 30,075 CHF, with his last competition in Planica adding 460 CHF for the 30th-place finish. Those figures cover only World Cup prize money and exclude sponsorship contracts, advertising deals, and Olympic bonuses. Journalist Maciej Dowbor, writing on Instagram, captured the public mood: "An era has ended. Kamil Stoch — congratulations on an incredible career. And now all that remains is to wish you peace and success in life after life."