Former Four Hills Tournament Winner Becomes Austria's Coach

Former Four Hills Tournament Winner Becomes Austria's Coach

Austria's ski jumping team has a new head coach: Thomas Diethart, a former winner of the Four Hills Tournament, takes over the reins.

The 33-year-old, whose career has been marked by numerous injuries, succeeds Bernhard Metzler, who recently retired.

“I am thrilled to take on this position—it’s a cool challenge,” stated Diethart, who previously worked as the co-coach.

Diethart, who won the Four Hills Tournament in 2013/14, achieved three podium finishes during that season, including victories in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Bischofshofen.

However, he struggled to reclaim that form afterward and retired in 2018 after several bad falls, which resulted in him losing his sense of taste and smell due to the injuries.

At ÖSV, he is tasked with preparing the team, including the former overall World Cup champion Eva Pinkelnig, for the Olympic Games in Milan. ÖSV sports director Mario Stecher believes that Diethart's calm and measured approach makes him the right fit for the role.