Retiring Olympic ski jumping titleholder delivers stirring farewell statement
Norwegian ski jumping Olympic champion Daniel-Andre Tande announced his retirement, roughly four months before the World Championships set to take place in his hometown, Trondheim. In an emotional message, he revealed that the mental toll from his accident in Planica, Slovenia in 2021, was the reason behind his decision. "I'm still grappling with the aftermath of my fall in 2021 at Planica," Tande stated: "Jumping these days brings me more anxiety than excitement, and I've always believed it's time to move on when joy turns into fear."
Back in 2021, during a ski flying event, Tande experienced a life-threatening fall on the notorious slope in Slovenia. He suffered a broken neck and a minor lung injury, and doctors discovered four brain bleeds. The comprehensive damage led medical professionals to fear for his life, as he fought for survival rather than seeking top-tier placements. But he managed to persevere, returning to the starting line just nine months later.
However, Tande's career was not only plagued by that harrowing accident. In May 2018, at the apex of his professional journey thus far, he was stricken by Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare condition that nearly cost him his life. "I awoke from a nap, struggling to breathe," Tande shared with "Dagbladet": "I had trouble swallowing or eating." Despite the debilitating disease that attacks the body's cells, Tande managed to pull through and return to the world's elite.
Tande cemented his place in history by clinching Olympic gold as part of the Norwegian team in Pyeongchang in 2018. He garnered further significant victories, particularly in ski flying: he was crowned individual world champion in Oberstdorf in 2018, and also won three gold medals as part of the team. In the Four Hills Tournament of 2016/17, he narrowly missed out on the overall title when the right ski binding detached during the final round of the final jump.
After his accident in 2021, which took place during a ski flying event in Slovenia, Tande's passion for Sports began to wane. Despite his impressive accomplishments, such as winning Olympic gold in Pyeongchang and becoming an individual world champion in Oberstdorf, the mental toll from his injuries made competing in Sports more anxiety-inducing than exhilarating.
