Slovenian ski jumper Peter Prevc bids farewell to his competitive career after the 2023/2024 season. The Slovenian eagle, who has secured the greatest successes in Slovenian ski jumping, has announced that he is concluding a long and incredibly successful career. After 15 seasons in the World Cup and more than 330 competitions at the highest level, it's time for him to embark on new adventures and challenges.
From the first encounter with the elite to becoming a serial winner
He made his debut in the World Cup on December 4, 2009, in the qualifications in Lillehammer, and from there, his career gradually but steadily ascended. The talented jumper from Dolenja vas drew serious attention to himself in the qualifications in Oberstdorf when he secured first place on the ski flying hill. That competition weekend, he celebrated his first victory in the team event.
The first peak of his career came at his first World Championships in Oslo in 2011 when he, along with his teammates, won the bronze medal in the team event on the large hill.
He didn't have to wait long for his first individual success at major competitions. The lucky place was Predazzo, Italy, in 2013, where he won two medals. He clinched a bronze on the normal hill and, five days later, he further elevated his jumps, becoming the silver medalist on the large hill.
His first victory in an individual event in the World Cup came on January 12, 2014, in Bad Mitterndorf, Austria, where he outperformed and convincingly surpassed the local superstar Gregor Schlierenzauer and the legendary Japanese jumper Noriaki Kasai on the ski flying hill.
Slovenian jumping star is born
The 2014 Sochi Olympics posed a new challenge and test for him, which he passed with flying colors. He helped Slovenia to a silver medal in the team event on the large hill, and in the individual event, also on the large hill, he captured the prestigious bronze. That year, he hinted in the World Cup that his best seasons were yet to come, finishing second overall, trailing only behind Poland's Kamil Stoch. He ended the 2014/2015 season also in second place overall, but with a significant amount of respect from his competitors. He notched three victories and stood on the podium eleven times.
He set a new milestone at the Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund in 2015 by achieving a world record, landing an incredible 250 meters, being the first earthling to do so.
Dream season 2015/2016 full of records The competitive year started fantastically, as the Prevc family made history in the Ski Jumping World Cup. In Engelberg on December 19, 2015, Peter and his younger brother Domen simultaneously stood on the podium, a feat unprecedented in the history of the Ski Jumping World Cup.
He displayed exceptional form on the Four Hills Tournament, securing three victories and becoming the overall winner and proud owner of the prestigious Golden Eagle. He became only the second Slovenian to achieve this feat after Primož Peterka, and Peter Prevc left his mark with a record-breaking 1139.4 points.
He proved his exceptional form once again at the FIS Ski Flying World Championships in Kulm, where he became the world champion. He topped off the perfect season with an overall victory in the World Cup. He concluded a season full of achievements and records with an astounding 15 victories, 22 podium finishes, and a record-breaking 2303 points in the season, surpassing Gregor Schlierenzauer's achievement from the 2008/2009 season. The Austrian collected 2083 points, 13 victories, and 20 podium finishes at that time.
The singing of the Slovenian anthem after the record-breaking season in front of tens of thousands of spectators at the renovated Gorišek Brothers Ski Flying Hill will remain etched in the memory of every sports enthusiast.
The trophy cabinet became too small
Throughout his career, he celebrated three FIS snowflakes, two bronze, and one silver at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. From six Ski Flying World Championships, he boasts five medals, three golds, one silver, and one bronze. He secured his latest gold this year in Kulm in the team event. In his final competitive season, he once again made history in ski jumping, becoming only the ninth athlete to surpass 10,000 points in the World Cup.
The Olympics are a chapter of their own, and with a total of four, he is the third most successful Slovenian athlete of all time. Ahead of him are only Leon Štukelj and Tina Maze, each with six Olympic medals. The oldest of the Prevc brothers has silver and bronze from Sochi 2014, as well as a silver and gold medal from Beijing 2022.
In addition to his sports medals, he was the only Slovenian athlete to be named Athlete of the Year four times in a row. He achieved this feat between 2013 and 2016.
A career full of achievements that elevated Slovenian sports, especially ski jumping, to a higher level, and above all, gave his successors the motivation to at least match his outstanding achievements in their careers.
