Stefan Kraft: “I want my child to see me jump”

Austrian ski jumping ace Stefan Kraft will begin his 14th World Cup winter on November 21 in Lillehammer, Norway. It will be his first season as a father, with his wife Marisa expecting their first child. Kraft says his phone stays on at all times and he is ready to miss one or two World Cup weekends to be present for the birth.

Reflecting on summer training, Kraft notes there were ups and downs on plastic, but he finished on a positive note and recently flew 140 meters at Innsbruck’s Bergisel, surpassing Michael Hayböck’s 138 m reference mark in training. He feels competitive form is close, though he is still seeking more consistency across entire rounds.

Despite his friend Michael Hayböck retiring last March after becoming a father, Kraft insists he is not planning to stop. At 32, he remains hungry for success and wants to keep jumping for several more years, ideally long enough for his child, at two or three years old, to watch him jump live.

Kraft has won every major title in his decorated career except individual Olympic gold. He says he will prepare meticulously for the Olympic season and aims to arrive at the Games in peak shape, while accepting that his legacy doesn’t hinge solely on that title.