A star overnight

On March 22, 1980, the young Austrian Hubert Neuper stands at the top, in the bright spotlight and at the peak of his career. By winning the ski jumping competition in Planica in the penultimate competition of the 1979/80 season, the then 19-year-old became the first jumper to win the newly created Ski Jumping World Cup. “A few years earlier, there had even been the question of whether I should stop ski jumping altogether,” Neuper recalls.

His success made history and overnight he reached a point that previously seemed unimaginable. ‘I was approached by complete strangers on the street and received an abundance of attention,’ says Neuper. In addition to his historic triumph in the World Cup, he also won the Four Hills Tournament and took Olympic silver in Lake Placid, which also meant silver at the World Championships. Just four years later, however, Neuper had lost his fire and passion for the sport. The successes failed to materialise and Neuper ended his active career in 1985. ‘Suddenly I lacked the feedback and the energy you need to keep working towards your own goals.’

After his career he became an airline pilot and ran his parents' ski school in Bad Mitterndorf. In 1996, he organised the Ski Flying World Championships in his home town and subsequently organised the World Cup Ski Flying on the Kulm for many years. After his entry in the sport's history books, he was unable to cope with the sudden fame and pressure. ‘Today I realise that it's a privilege to be rewarded like this as a young athlete for all your hard training.’