Nordic combined legend says goodbye: Johannes Rydzek ends his sporting career

Johannes Rydzek, one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Nordic combined, has announced the end of his professional sporting career. The German athlete will say goodbye to competition during the final World Cup events, which will take place this coming weekend in Trondheim, Norway. The decision of the 34-year-old athlete ends an era of success spanning over a decade, during which he became one of the key figures in world Nordic skiing. Rydzek, born on December 9, 1991, in Oberstdorf, represented Germany at five editions of the Olympic Games, building the position of leader of the national team.

The culmination of the athlete's career was the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where he won two Olympic gold medals, triumphing in the large hill event and the team competition. Johannes Rydzek also made history as a seven-time world champion, with his most spectacular performance taking place in 2017 in Lahti. He then became the first Nordic combined athlete to win gold medals in all four events contested at a single championship. In the highest-level competition, the World Cup, the German achieved a total of 18 individual victories, placing him among the all-time greats of the discipline.

Johannes Rydzek made his World Cup debut in 2008, quickly becoming a pillar of the German team led for years by coach Hermann Weinbuch. His career coincided with a period of great German dominance in Nordic combined, where he competed and collaborated with athletes such as Eric Frenzel and Fabian Rießle. Rydzek's greatest strength was his cross-country skiing form, which repeatedly allowed him to make up for deficits after the jumping round and win races in the final meters thanks to dynamic finishes.

Announcing his decision, the athlete pointed to a sense of fulfillment and readiness to begin a new stage in life outside of professional sport. Coaches and teammates emphasize his professionalism and the mentoring role he played in recent years for younger German representatives. The farewell appearance in Trondheim will be a symbolic closing of a chapter, as it is in Norway that Nordic combined enjoys the status of a national sport.

. „Es ist Zeit, Lebewohl zu sagen” (It is time to say goodbye) — Johannes Rydzek via DIE WELT

Johannes Rydzek: 1. Mistrzostwo Olimpijskie (Pjongczang 2018 - skocznia duża) (Złoto); 2. Mistrzostwo Olimpijskie (Pjongczang 2018 - drużynowo) (Złoto); 3. Mistrzostwa Świata w Lahti 2017 (4 złote medale); 4. Łączna liczba tytułów mistrza świata (7 złotych medale)

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