Nordic combined-Norway's four-times Olympic champion Graabak calling time on career
Norway's Joergen Graabak, a four-times Olympic champion in Nordic combined, announced his retirement on Friday, nine months before the 2026 Olympics, saying he is looking forward to "new adventures".
The 34-year-old, who is the most successful Olympic combined skier of all time, won gold in the individual large hill at both the 2014 Sochi and 2022 Beijing Olympics, and gold in the team large hill event at both Games.
"It has been an amazing journey, and I am incredibly grateful for all the people I have had the opportunity to share it with," he said in a Norwegian Ski Association press release.
"I have been both skilled and lucky to have experienced great moments and results – but equally important is everything I have learned, and everything I have experienced along the way.
"Now I am looking forward to new adventures," he added.
Ivar Stuan, the Norwegian Combined Sports Director, said Graabak would have been a contender for an Olympic medal in Italy.
"But I have great respect for the choice he has made," Stuan said. "Norwegian combined sports have a lot to thank Joergen for. He is without a doubt the combined athlete of all time in an Olympic context.
"Four gold and two silver is a huge achievement, especially considering how few events we have compared to some other sports. Such a decision is respected just nine months before the next Olympics. A golden boy is leaving."
Graabak was recently selected for Norway's combined team for the upcoming season.
Graabak is also a three-time world champion, and most recently won silver in the individual large hill and bronze in the team large hill events at this year's world championships in Trondheim, Norway.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
24 minutes ago
- CNA
Burgeoning 'Baller League' offers zany remix of Beautiful Game
LONDON :An enthusiastic announcer rallies the crowd inside London's Copper Box Arena for a noisy five-second countdown to Santan FC vs MVPs United, the former managed by rapper Dave, the latter by popular player Alisha Lehmann and TV host Maya Jama. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg tosses the ball in the air to begin a 30-minute, six-a-side game but before he can take his position on the side, MVPs score in six seconds: the quickest goal yet in the fledgling Baller League UK. Twelve minutes later, it is time for a twist - the "Plus One" rule reduces the teams to one-versus-one plus goalkeepers with the rest allowed back after next goals. Social media-focused soccer tournaments like the German-founded Baller League and Spanish-origin Kings League have sprung up in Europe and elsewhere to offer young consumers a cheaper, crazier and shorter version of traditional 90-minute soccer. Some older fans scoff at these formats as a gimmicky distortion of what Brazilian great Pele called "The Beautiful Game", and predict they will quickly fade. But for now, ex-professionals, online influencers and entertainment figures are piling in. Viewing figures are soaring and investment is mounting into what supporters see as a back-to-roots, playground-style version of the sport. "The way they play the game is the way that kids on the street play it all over the world," EQT Ventures' Partner Ashley Lundstrom told Reuters. 'The ecosystem of fans is so open-minded to a new sport, a new style of sport.' Her company led an investment round for Baller League that raised $25 million in early December 2024. 'SOCIALS BLOWING UP' The UK league, in its inaugural season, has drawn a multitude of personalities including some who could not quite make it in mainstream professional football. "It's so close to being what I've always wanted with being a pro footballer and just having that recognition of, okay, this kid can play," said midfielder Harry Cain, 27, who plays for Yanited managed by YouTuber and Twitch streamer Angryginge. "My socials (were) absolutely blowing up from friends, family. 'Can't believe we just watched you on Sky Sports'." Cain, who produces soccer content for 1 million-plus TikTok followers, said one of his highs was scoring in front of former England international and Baller League UK coach John Terry. The Baller League expanded to the UK this year, with 12 teams, after its founding in Germany in 2023 where games were livestreamed from an old plane hangar in the city of Cologne. The Kings League, established by former Spanish player Gerard Pique, has a growing fanbase, with 80 per cent of its 30 million social media followers under 34. Founded in 2022, the seven-a-side Kings League has expanded to Italy, France, Germany, Brazil and the Americas. "Investors also see that we have a disruptive, creative new product, that is solving perhaps the biggest problem in sports: attracting and retaining the attention of young audiences," Kings League CEO Djamel Agaoua told Reuters. "The increasing competition for audience attention means that it's harder and harder to get younger fans to watch a 90-minute live game." The Kings League raised $60 million in its last funding round last year and is in partnership with Surj Sports Investment, the sports arm of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, to launch Kings League MENA (Middle East and North Africa). With the majority of Saudis under 30, the synergy is obvious. As pay-TV fees increase, the young are increasingly watching sport for free on platforms like YouTube, Kick and Twitch. According to a Deloitte study, about 90 per cent of Generation Z and Millennials consume sport via social media. On the day Santan FC played MVPs United, matchday 8 drew more than 900,000 viewers on YouTube. 'I don't think it's as simple as the older generation watches sports over linear channels and the younger generation does it over social channels,' said Pete Giorgio, global and U.S. sports leader for Deloitte. "Both generations are moving towards a mode where they do not consume sports monolithically." OLD CLUBS TAKING NOTE European clubs have taken note, trying to work with new leagues rather than treat them as rivals. In Italy, Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has cast it as a 'cross-marketing" opportunity. Juventus, for example, offer facilities to Zebras FC, a Kings League Italy side led by content creator and Juventus fan Luca Campolunghi. Zebras had 2.5 million engagements across social platforms in its first season. "Collaborating with content creators helps us speak a native digital language that truly resonates with younger audiences,' Juventus' head of brand Gianmarco Pino told Reuters. In France, Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille have teamed up to help Kings League France club Wolf Pack FC, founded by former Olympique de Marseille player Adil Rami. However, one football insider in a major European league told Reuters he thought the proliferation of new mini-leagues may prove too much, with one likely to dominate eventually. With the Baller League UK reaching its season finale on Thursday and the Kings World Cup Clubs culminating in Paris on Saturday, the hype is reaching fever-pitch. But not all are convinced. "I just don't think it's particularly entertaining," said a 30-year-old Englishman who supports Premier League team Arsenal and tried the Baller League on YouTube. "Beyond an influencer or a former footballer's team winning, there's no emotional investment in any of these teams which makes it difficult for us to care," he said.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Murray leaves door open to coaching return
Former world number one Andy Murray has left the door open to a coaching return after his short stint with Novak Djokovic ended without a trophy, but the Scot said he did not expect to be working with another player anytime soon. Serb Djokovic appointed Murray ahead of this year's Australian Open and said at the Qatar Open in February they would continue working together for an indefinite period. However, the 24-times Grand Slam champion then endured a woeful run of form and the pair parted ways last month ahead of the French Open. "I would do it again at some stage. I don't think that will happen immediately," Murray told the BBC on Monday. "I wasn't planning on going into coaching as soon as I finished playing but it was a pretty unique opportunity. "It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time. You also learn a lot about how to work with a team. "You're working with a physio, physical trainers, agents, and you need to know how to get your message across to the player and find out what makes them tick. "That was the thing I learned and something I need to work on if I want to do it again in the future," added Murray. Though they won no titles in their six-month partnership, Murray said he had good memories of his time working with former rival Djokovic. "It was a brilliant opportunity for me. We got to spend some really nice moments away from the court," the three-times Grand Slam champion added.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Argentina not overly reliant on Messi, says Scaloni
Argentina have learned to cope with Lionel Messi's absences and no longer need to rejig the line-up when the Inter Miami forward is not available, manager Lionel Scaloni said ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Colombia. Since making his senior debut in 2005, Messi has scored 112 goals in 192 appearances for Argentina, winning the World Cup in 2022, two Copa America titles and a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The 37-year-old captain missed Argentina's 1-0 win over Uruguay and 4-1 thrashing of rivals Brazil in March due to injury, with Scaloni's side securing their place at the 2026 World Cup during that international break. He returned to the squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers and made a substitute appearance in Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile last week. "The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo (Messi) or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players," Scaloni told reporters ahead of the match in Buenos Aires. "But now we don't have this necessity and the team works in the same way, that's good." While Argentina have already qualified for the World Cup in North America, Colombia are in the sixth and final automatic qualification spot and will be looking to put some distance between themselves and seventh-placed Venezuela with a win. Colombia beat Argentina 2-1 when the sides last met in the World Cup qualifiers in September. "It's a great team, and with great players, and it has a clear style that can put you in trouble," Scaloni said. "We've analysed it, we've shown the players their strengths and what we want to take advantage of. It's going to be a nice game, especially because we play at home, so it's good for our people to see the players." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
