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Not enough prospects: ski jumper Kilian Märkl ends his career at the age of 22

2022-06-19T06:16:54.095Z


"Something is missing": Ski jumper Kilian Märkl (22) from SC Partenkirchen ends his career. The association also causes frustration with decisions that are difficult to understand - not only for the young Grainauer.


"Something is missing": Ski jumper Kilian Märkl (22) from SC Partenkirchen ends his career.

The association also causes frustration with decisions that are difficult to understand - not only for the young Grainauer.

Grainau

– Kilian Märkl says goodbye to competitive sports.

At the age of 22, the Grainauer put the long bars in the corner.

Ski jumping – he has lost interest in that.

Despite emotional moments such as a flight to 216 meters in Oberstdorf this spring.

As much as the news may come as a surprise to some, the young athlete from the Partenkirchen ski club really didn't make the decision spontaneously.

It has matured – over a longer period of time.

"I already noticed during the season that something was missing," admits Märkl.

Although he had stable and good results in the second division, the Continental Cup, he was left cold.

"One sixth place, three sevenths, those were my best results, but I wasn't really happy about that anymore." A clear signal for the young man.

Nevertheless: Märkl did not make it easy for himself to stop the final vote.

At the end of the season he took his time again and let all the experiences and results of the winter sink in.

The 216 meters from Oberstdorf, which he achieved as a fore jump in ski flying, "was really cool", he admits.

"I wouldn't want to miss it under any circumstances." But there was nothing more.

The Grainauer said to himself: "This unique feeling was also an ideal moment to stop."

Märkl never set too high goals

Even as a child, Märkl had never striven for extremes.

"It was never my goal to become world champion or Olympic champion," he emphasizes.

He has a clear opinion on this: "Things like this happen and, if you're honest, you can't work them out yourself." The targets he wanted to achieve were different: "I always wanted to fly over 200 meters and take part in New Year's ski jumping Sitting on the bar with a start number – I've achieved both.” That's why he is at peace with his decision and was able to respond with a smile to his family's “My, what a pity”.

Hanging on for another year, trying to see whether qualifying for the World Cup would work out after all was no longer an option for Märkl.

“The motivation to give 100 percent is gone.

Then it makes no sense.

At 80 percent, I weigh three kilos too much and fall down like a stone.” He's that honest with himself. As a result, he would probably not be able to decide whether to call it quits, but the ski association could sort him out.

"Then everything ends with a bad feeling, now it's a good one."

After strong snow courses, the Grainauer has to watch

Nevertheless, the association is not completely uninvolved in Märkl's loss of motivation.

"It's certainly not the main reason for the end of my career, but some of the decisions I made last winter were incomprehensible and frustrating for me." For example the one in autumn, when it was clear very early on who would go to the first winter continental cup competitions and who wouldn't.

"It was frustrating to always jump at the front in the first snow courses, but not have a chance because of the summer results." score points in the World Cup, but as a German you don’t get a place because they are almost always assigned in the World Cup.” In this case, Märkl doesn’t relate the Krkitik so much to himself,

but on teammates who impressed in the national group with results in the top 15 at the home World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt, but were never used.

That is simply demotivating for young jumpers.

Märkl is therefore not the only young hope to throw in the towel.

Now the focus is on completing the training with the state police

But the Grainauer does not want to go scolding.

His time in ski jumping and in the DSV was a special one that he wouldn't want to miss.

But now the moment has come for something new.

The completion of his training with the state police, which he is doing in these weeks, paves the way for him to a job that he is looking forward to.

And "normal life" is one of the best times ever.

"Just eat what you feel like, and go up the mountain without being scared that you're not an endurance athlete – that's something." The 22-year-old can't predict whether the start of winter will cause melancholy again.

At the moment he is – as always – deeply relaxed and at peace with himself.

Catherine Ebenhoch

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-19

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