Ema Klinec announces sudden retirement from ski jumping

Slovenian ski jumping star Ema Klinec has announced her retirement from professional competition at age 28. The decision was made during a press conference in Ljubljana, just weeks before the start of the 2026/2027 World Cup season in Lillehammer.

Despite recently winning the Summer Grand Prix overall title in Klingenthal, Klinec stated that she had been considering retirement for two years. She noted that while she had been preparing for the upcoming winter season, several factors regarding her well-being led to this recent decision.

Klinec leaves behind a historic career. She was the 2021 World Champion in Oberstdorf and became the first woman to officially jump over 200 meters, later setting a world record of 226 meters in Vikersund in 2023. Her career was also marked by resilience following multiple serious knee injuries and health challenges that caused her to miss much of the previous season and the Milan-Cortina Olympics.