Exclusive: Daniel-André Tande leaves no regrets about ski jumping retirement – “I’m 100% sure my choice was correct”

In March 2021, Daniel-André Tande suffered a horrific training crash which threatened more than his career.

The Norwegian ski jumper had to be resuscitated in the outrun after he lost control on his jump and crashed, eventually emerging from a medically induced coma.

His comeback was stunning: back at the top level after seven months, returning to the World Cup podium by the end of 2021 and, a year on from the accident, securing his eighth World Cup win on home soil in Oslo.

Tande’s perseverance and spirit to return to the sport was nothing short of inspiring.

In September 2024, aged 30, the time had come for the Olympic gold medallist to leave ski jumping on his own terms, as he announced his retirement.

“You come to a conclusion about ending your career - it's never fun, it's a difficult choice,” Tande tells Olympics.com. “I spent a lot of time thinking about it, but overall, it feels like the correct decision. I'm 100% sure my choice was correct.”

• Daniel-André Tande: Coming back against all odds

Tande’s stunning post-crash comeback: ‘I knew I was going to return’

When Tande had his career-threatening crash, few were sure whether it would be the last we would see of the PyeongChang 2018 men’s team large hill champion.

That he returned to compete at the following Olympic Winter Games at Beijing 2022 was a feat of its own, and he came agonisingly close to picking up another team medal.

Nonetheless, the true success came in the triumphant return.

“From the very first day after the accident, I was 100% sure I was going to go back and jump again," Tande explains. It was never a discussion for myself, I knew I wanted to continue jumping. Doing as well as I did the first season, with the podium and the victory, it made me believe I was able to get back to my glory days.

“As the years went on and I took more jumps, it was only getting more and more difficult. I realised the barriers in my head, which made me not be able to do what I wanted to do, were just getting bigger and bigger. In the end, it was just me realising that this is probably something I'm going to struggle with if I continue to jump.”

The Narvik native’s World Cup win in March 2022 may have been his final individual victory, but it was certainly his most defiant, and took mental fortitude of the highest degree.

Tande says of his injury recovery, “It's quite strange going from being an athlete at the top level in the world and being able to use your body for everything, and then suddenly the next day you're only able to walk short trips for five minutes. Because of the damage I had to my head, I had to take it really slow and be careful not to provoke my headaches too much.

“When I was still jumping after a crash, my solution was to put on blinds and push through, and hopefully the feelings will end. If you have a long break, [in] the first jump you're going on autopilot. You don't think too much. You just turn off your head and go.”

Daniel-André Tande bids farewell to ski jumping

Tande retires with eight World Cup wins, four Ski Flying World Championship titles and an Olympic gold to his name, a decorated career for one of ski jumping’s standout sources of inspiration.

In the few months since he stepped away from the sport and into the next chapter of his life, the 30-year-old has been allowing everything to sink in, from the highs to the lows of his decade on the World Cup trail.

Emotions run high and it is easy to crave the thrill of flying through the sky hundreds of metres across a hill - after all, that is the thrill of ski jumping.

However, the most important thing for Tande is to put that space between himself and the sport he adores, for the time being.

He explains, “I've been trying to spend the first bit of retirement to distance myself a bit from the sport, so I'm able to look back on what I've actually achieved and be grateful for the time I've had in ski jumping. My normal day is a bit different from training and competing, suddenly I’m standing there trying to find a normal job.”

There is the element of being able to enjoy the winter season more, a lifestyle adored by Norwegian people, albeit missing the thrills of the sport.

“I'm not getting the same jitters I usually do before a season start and they're not the same nerves,” Tande gleefully admits. “I'm able to be a bit more relaxed going into the winter. For once it's going to be nice to have some weekends free during the winter.

“Throughout the season I will probably experience some kind of…wanting to be in ski jumping, travelling and, of course, competing. It's quite fun to compete. This is going to be something I'm going to miss; you usually don't get to compete on such a high level going around in Oslo.”

Tande, a childhood dream fulfilled

Although Tande is unapologetically comfortable with leaving ski jumping in 2024, there were always going to be bittersweet emotions.

“It's been my childhood dream to compete in ski jumping, and it's been something I've been able to do for so many years,” Tande says. “To suddenly say goodbye, it’s like grieving the end of your career."

Defying expectations to return to the big stage and the top step of the podium, serving as an inspiration for those in and around the sport, Tande can put his feet up and reflect on his achievements with pride.

Ski jumping is not for the faint hearted, which Tande certainly acknowledges.

He explains, “I've always said, to be a ski jumper, you need a couple of screws loose in your head because of course, it's a scary sport. You are taking a risk. The best jump is as close to get to flipping as possible. A really good ski jump is on the limit all the way, and you have to be on the limit all the way to be able to win competitions.

“The difference between a good and a great ski jump race is daring to be on the limits more than others. The power of the wind and the forces of everything when you're flying. It's an incredible feeling.”