– Perhaps the most perfect ski jumper

Monday morning came the news that the Finnish hopplegenden Matti Nykänen is dead. Hoppikonet was only 55 years old.

the News is met with sadness in hoppmiljøet, where the finn – who is known for a life full of downs private – today, first and foremost, hailed for its enormous success in the sport.

One who takes the news with great sadness is the hoppsjef Clas Brede Bråthen.

Matti Nykänen is death

– Matti was a role model for generations of skihoppere, and I was one of those who were in nesegrus admiration of Mattis athletic performance. He took the sport our to a whole new level, and he won it that was to win. He did it in a convincing way, every single time, ” says Bråthen of the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

He describes Nykänen as one of hoppidrettens most largest, if not the definitely the greatest profiles ever.

He has meant very, very much for many as a sportsman. He was a real sporting hero, and was perhaps one of the biggest idrettsheltene a proud hoppnasjon that Finland has had, ” says Bråthen and add:

– It is just sad to think that he has left us at the age of only 55 years. He has left deep traces, which is perhaps the most perfect ski jumper. Rest in peace, Matti.

role MODEL IN SKI jumping: Hoppsjef Clas Brede Bråthen remember skihopperen Nykänen as a role model for generations of skihoppere. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB Scanpix Show more – A splash of color

In the course of the nine active seasons managed Nykänen to win 46 verdenscuprenn. He would get home five olympic medals (four gold), nine world CHAMPIONSHIPS medals (five gold) and 13 Finnish championship.

None of Matti Nykänen. No one at the side of the.

It says The legendary hoppkommentator Arne Scheie to Dagbladet about the Finnish hoppikonet.

HOPPLEGENDE: This is Arne Scheies tribute to Matti Nykänen. Video: Arne Scheie / NRK Show more

Nykänen, who by many is regarded as the greatest skihopperen ever, also won all three gold medals in the winter OLYMPICS in 1988.

He was also was the first and still the only athlete who have won all five of hoppsportens store: Gold in the winter OLYMPICS, world cup, skiflygings world cup, the world cup (four times) and Hoppuka (two times).

At home, it did considerably worse, especially after he, as a 28-year-old, in 1991, gave himself as hopper.

< p> When he was 28, finished all the

Finnens life has largely been characterized by scandals and personal tragedies. He struggled through large parts of their life with alcohol problems, worked at one time for a sextelefon, he has been a stripper, he has sat inside for the violent attack on his wife, and for having stabbed a friend.

This is very sad to hear. He had a somewhat more turbulent life than most, but was still undoubtedly one of by far the greatest field of ski jumping through the journal. He was a splash of color, says the former verdensrekordholderen Bjørn Einar Romøren to the Newspaper.

Regardless of all … What he did in the ski jump was unique. It was something before my time as a competitive athlete, but everyone remembers Nykänen – a guy who jumped terribly far. He won what could be won. Had there been as many weekends with verdenscuprenn then as it is today, so had the statistics been even worse to turn, ” says Romøren.

Dominated in the ski jumping

Hannu Lepistö was hopptreneren who “discovered” Nykänen, and took him into the Finnish landslagsvarmen on ungdomsnivå – at a time the young finn had not proven large.

– I got criticism for the outlet, but I had seen him jump and knew he could make a difference. Critics quickly became still, ” says Lepistö to the Finnish Yle.

He fell never, and was always competition, recalls the former hopptreneren.

The former Finnish skihopperen Toni Nieminen, who took two gold medals as a 16-year-old during the OLYMPICS in Albertville in 1992, says Nykänen took care of him when he experienced sporting adversity.

When I experienced adversity was Matti always the first person who called to offer help. It says something about Mattis basic nature, which was cordial, ” says the Finnish OLYMPIC hero from Albertville, Toni Nieminen, of his personal brand in hoppbakkene.

– Hell is not as bad as my life was the Newspaper Plus the Incredibly popular

the Radio hoppkommentator Christian Nilssen says to rikskringkasteren that Nykänen has done everything it is possible to get to a ski jump.

He is perhaps the greatest of all time, ” says Nilssen the Norwegian broadcasting corporation NRK.

– He was incredibly popular because he also was a type of that charmed the surroundings, even if he was, perhaps, a little more introvert guy than many would think, ” says Nilssen.

– Now, people will look at me as a hero

A different hoppkommentator, former ski jumper Johan Strap Evensen, describes Nykänen as one of hoppidrettens rock stars.

– He has been one of the major rockestjernene in the sport our. He has both in terms of profit and with their being, of good and evil, made headlines and done a lot for the sport, ” says Strap Evensen to VG.

Vegard Opaas, who jumped at the same time as Nykänen in the 80’s, ” says to the same newspaper that he never came under the skin on the finn he competed against, but is obviously upset over the news.

Now I got chills on my back. I have followed the media and seen that he has lived a tough life, but this was sad, ” says Opaas to VG.

COMPETITORS: Vegard Opaas (on the left) took the bronze behind the gold medalist Juru Parma (centre) and silver medallist Matti Nykänen at the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in Oberstdorf in 1987. Photo: Bjørn Sigurdsøn / NTB Scanpix Show more