Simon Ammann is plotting a surprise: secret training in an air-raid shelter

Swiss ski jumping icon Simon Ammann is keeping his cards close to his chest ahead of his 29th World Cup season. The four-time Olympic champion revealed he “built muscle in a different way” over the summer, adapting certain exercises but declining to share precise details. He said only that the change “really sculpted the leg muscles.”

According to the report, teammates rarely see Ammann in a conventional gym because he often trains alone in an air-raid shelter. “I write my own training plan. That lets me achieve what’s appropriate for my age. I’m happy no one disturbs me,” he said.

His approach appears to be working. Ammann passed Switzerland’s internal qualification for the World Cup opener in roughly a week and a half, and over the summer he repeatedly showed his enduring class, finishing three times in the top 15 and ranking second among Swiss jumpers behind team leader Gregor Deschwanden.

Ammann also credits progress to Switzerland’s new head coach Bine Norčič, who replaced Rune Velta (now back with Norway). “The change suited me very well,” Ammann said, repeatedly voicing dissatisfaction with the previous regime. “Now we have much more emotion in training. I like that a lot.” He criticized the former focus: “We concentrated too much on the take-off. That bothered me. I want to develop the entire jump.”

Teammates echo the positive reviews. Killian Peier said Norčič supports the team and “wants the best for all of us—something that was missing in recent years.” Sandro Hauswirth praised improved communication and noted that since Norčič took over, German is consistently used during training discussions, which helps especially with technical points. Previously, instructions were given in English.

Ammann welcomes tightened suit checks after the suit-manipulation scandal involving Norway at the last World Championships. Now, two controllers inspect suits after jumps, leading to more checks overall. “They’re strict, which I like. But the controllers must be strict at the big events too, when everything is pushed to the limit,” he said. The sport has also introduced yellow and red cards: a first disqualification for an illegal suit earns a yellow card; a repeat brings a red card and suspension from the next competition.

Despite strong jumps, a new training method and a coach he trusts, Ammann will not set public targets beyond qualifying for the Olympics in Italy. Switzerland currently has only three Olympic quota spots, making selection tight. He insists he is “very optimistic,” and that his jumping is good.

The first real test comes at the World Cup opener in Lillehammer. With Norčič’s previous experience on Norway’s B team, the Swiss hope to leverage contacts to secure additional training jumps after arriving midweek.