Birthday - Weißflog: Much persuasive work needed for Olympia
Three-time Olympic ski jumping champion Jens Weißflog faces a divided response from the German Olympic bid committee, DOSB. "I'm thrilled that the DOSB is trying it again. Considering the failed bids of the recent past, when we hadn't even gotten past votes in individual regions, a lot more persuasion is needed today," Weißflog told the German Press Agency (dpa).
Today, the failure is not just about a few farmers, as in the 2018 Olympic bid in Bavaria. The risk of societal failure is significant. "Only when society begins to think in values will we get the Olympics," Weißflog said, turning 60 on this Sunday.
Performance sport as a school of life
Despite this, Weißflog remains convinced of the unique role of sports. "I see performance sports as a school for children and young people, for people in general," Weißflog said. He is one of the few areas where real values are still being taught.
With the values instilled through sports such as ambition, perseverance, fighting spirit, and so on, one can achieve a great deal in life. Whether this works depends on the sport. "Nearly everyone who has gone through sport, whether earlier or now, speaks of a valuable time," said the former world-class jumper who now runs a hotel in Oberwiesenthal. Weißflog won four titles in the Vierschanzentournee, three World Championship titles, and the overall World Cup in addition to his Olympic gold medals in Sarajevo (1984) on the normal hill in parallel style and in Lillehammer (1994) on the large hill and with the team in the V-style.
Clear stance on politics and the AfD
In terms of politics and dealing with the AfD, Weißflog has a clear stance. "Even though it's an unpopular statement: I see it as an expression of democracy, with which we must learn to deal. I don't like it when AfD voters are simply labeled as Nazis and excluded from the democratic discourse. As long as there is no ban on the AfD, it must be treated as a democratic party," Weißflog told the magazine "Stern."
He sits on the CDU city council in Oberwiesenthal and believes he understands the reasons for the special AfD acceptance in Saxony. "The CDU won the election in 1990 with an overwhelming majority. The values that the CDU represented then have been significantly shifted to the left. They have lost their conservative values. I believe that AfD voters see the AfD as the continuation of the earlier CDU politics. The people are longing for conservative politics."
- Jens Weißflog, a three-time Olympic ski jumping champion from Germany, expressed his support for the German Olympic bid committee's renewed efforts, despite the challenges faced in the past.
- Weißflog celebrated his 60th birthday on a Sunday, emphasizing the need for society to adopt values for the success of the Olympics.
- Performing sports, according to Weißflog, serves as a school of life, instilling values such as ambition, perseverance, and fighting spirit.
- Weißflog, a former world-class jumper, won numerous titles in his career, including four Vierschanzentournee titles, three World Championship titles, and the overall World Cup.
- Giving a clear stance on politics and the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Weißflog viewed the AfD as an expression of democracy that should be dealt with, not excluded from democratic discourse.
- In his city council seat in Oberwiesenthal, Weißflog understood the reasons for the AfD's acceptance in Saxony, attributing it to the shift in values from the CDU's conservative politics.
- Weißflog's hotel in Oberwiesenthal, a popular ski jumping venue, has been a significant part of his post-competitive life, a reminder of his successful sporting career.
- The German Press Agency (dpa) reported on Weißflog's views regarding the German Olympic bid, his opinions on politics and the AfD, and his continued belief in the virtues of performance sports.
