Finland mourns the loss of one of its most famous athletes of all: Matti Nykänen is dead. The ski jumper won four times Olympic gold – but in real life he had great difficulty. the
The ski jumping-world mourns Nykänen to Matti. The four-time Olympic champion died on Sunday night at the age of 55 years. The Finnish magazine Seiska reported, citing Nykänens wife Pia. The FIS, confirmed the news in the Morning. The cause of death is still unknown.
Nykänen was the best ski jumper in the world. At 18, he won the world Cup, with 19 of the four-hills-tournament, with 20 Olympic Gold in Sarajevo. Later, the deep crash of the Celestial followed. The alcohol, the women, the heart. Hell is not so bad, “as my life for many years,” said the fallen Hero of 2012 in a world-Interview: “hell must be a better place.”
“Nykänen had this genius, unfortunately, only on the hill, in the life he had lost something,” said national coach Werner Schuster. Since the Finn had just lost his Old record of 46 world Cup Victories to Gregor schlierenzauer. Nykänen then traveled to Jump to Kuopio, to congratulate the Austrians personally: “Gregor, you’re a great ski jumper. For me, the greatest of all time.”
That was polite, but not necessarily right. Four Olympia wins as Nykänen has to offer schlierenzauer (yet). Four victories in the overall world Cup. “Matti was at his time unique,” said Jens Weißflog, the weight delivered to the Finnish easily, for many years, a fierce battle it out for the big title: “it was a healthy rivalry. Nykänen was for me a kind of role model.” However, all the titles, all the medals, you Nykänen not helped more in real life. In his Wikipedia entry, more lines about the time after the career as a over the years as an athlete are to be found today. Most of the action of scandals. Of his three divorces.
Of a criminal record for assault, because he attacked his wife with a knife. From his time as a Stripper and as a performer in adult movies. Of a heart attack in 2004. And again and again of alcohol. “If you drink, do you live in a bubble, see no sense,” said Nykänen of the world and attempted an explanation: “I stood for many years at the centre, all have ripped me off. I got tired of it, it was too much. I was unhappy and started in me a wall on the inside to pull up. I was very young when I became successful, the media were all the time around me – I needed help. That was the beginning. Later I drank because I had nothing else to do, because I wanted to forget.”
To his 50. Birthday in 2013, said Nykänen, he had his life in their grip. Now he is died.
