1. Overview
Thomas Morgenstern (Thomas MorgensternThomas MorgensternGerman; born October 30, 1986) is an Austrian former ski jumper who competed professionally from 2002 to 2014. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful ski jumpers of all time, having achieved two World Cup overall titles, 23 individual World Cup victories, a Four Hills Tournament title, and a Nordic Tournament title. His distinguished career also includes eight World Championship gold medals (one individual and seven team) and three Olympic gold medals (one individual and two team).
2. Early Life and Background
Thomas Morgenstern's early life and the beginning of his athletic journey laid the foundation for his remarkable career in ski jumping.
2.1. Birth, Childhood, and Family
Thomas Morgenstern was born on October 30, 1986, in Spittal an der Drau, Austria. Affectionately known by his nickname "Morgi", he grew up in a family with a connection to winter sports. His uncle, Alois Morgenstern, was an Alpine skier who notably placed seventh in the slalom event at the 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria.
2.2. Junior and Early Professional Career
Morgenstern began his ski jumping career in the Continental Cup, where he quickly demonstrated his talent by winning three out of four events. He made his senior World Cup debut during the 2002-03 Four Hills Tournament. In this prestigious tournament, he achieved respectable finishes, placing ninth in Oberstdorf, 25th in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, ninth in Innsbruck, and sixth in Bischofshofen. These consistent performances secured him tenth place overall in the final tournament standings. Just five days after the tournament concluded, on January 11, 2003, Morgenstern achieved his first World Cup victory in Liberec, Czech Republic. In the same 2002-03 season, he also showcased his prowess at the junior level, winning two gold medals (individual and team) at the Nordic Ski Junior World Championships. The following summer, his success continued as he won the Ski Jumping Grand Prix for the first time.
3. Career Highlights
Thomas Morgenstern's career was marked by numerous successes across various competitions, showcasing his consistent performance and ability to excel in major events, despite facing significant injuries.
3.1. Initial Success and Olympic Gold
At the start of the 2003-04 season, Morgenstern suffered a severe accident in Kuusamo, Finland, during which a sudden gust of wind caused him to flip in mid-air and land forcefully on his back. Despite the dramatic fall, he sustained only minor injuries and quickly recovered, continuing his successful trajectory. During the Four Hills Tournament that season, he was positioned as second overall, behind Sigurd Pettersen, for much of the competition, ultimately finishing fourth. He earned his first team medal, a bronze, at the 2004 Ski-Flying World Championships in Planica, Slovenia.
In the 2005 season, Morgenstern secured gold medals in both the normal hill and large hill team events at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, marked a significant milestone as he won two gold medals in the individual and team large hill competitions. He also won a bronze medal in the individual event at the 2006 Ski-Flying World Championships in Bad Mitterndorf, Austria. This season, he achieved his then-best World Cup ranking, finishing fifth overall. In the 2006-07 season, he contributed to another large hill team gold medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo, Japan. He also won his first individual medal at the World Championships, a bronze, in the normal hill event. For the second time in his career, Morgenstern won the Ski Jumping Grand Prix.
3.2. Dominance and First Overall World Cup Title
The 2007-08 season saw Thomas Morgenstern achieve unprecedented dominance, winning the first six competitions of the season, an all-time record. This streak also tied the record for most consecutive wins, previously held by Janne Ahonen, Matti Hautamäki, and Gregor Schlierenzauer. In early 2008, Morgenstern secured a gold medal at the Ski-Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. He culminated this exceptional season by winning his first World Cup overall title, finishing an impressive 233 points ahead of teammate Gregor Schlierenzauer. This marked the first time an Austrian skier had won the overall title since Andreas Goldberger 12 years prior.
3.3. Continued World Stage Success
During the 2008-09 season, Thomas Morgenstern did not secure any individual World Cup victories but earned a team gold medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Liberec. He finished seventh overall in the World Cup standings, with two second-place finishes in individual events. The 2009-10 World Cup season saw him claim two individual victories, on January 6 in Bischofshofen, Austria, and on January 16 in Sapporo, Japan. He also added gold medals in the team events at both the Ski-Flying World Championships and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, finishing third overall in the World Cup.
The 2010-11 season again started very successfully for Morgenstern, with him winning four of the first six competitions. He went on to win the 2010-11 Four Hills Tournament for the first time. In January 2011, he secured his first ski flying event victory in Harrachov, Czech Republic.
He then confirmed his second World Cup overall title on February 13 with a fifth-place finish at a ski flying competition in Vikersund, Norway. At the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, Norway, Morgenstern achieved a significant milestone by winning gold in the individual normal hill event, his first individual gold medal at a World Championship. He further contributed to the Austrian team's success by winning gold medals in both the normal hill and large hill team events, alongside teammates Andreas Kofler, Martin Koch, and Gregor Schlierenzauer. He also earned a silver medal in the individual large hill event, narrowly missing gold by 0.3 points behind Schlierenzauer due to a landing error on his second jump. The 2011-12 season saw him achieve one victory and finish seventh overall in the World Cup standings.
3.4. Injury, Final Season, and Retirement
During the 2013-14 season, Thomas Morgenstern suffered a serious head injury on January 10, 2014, while training for a ski flying event in Bad Mitterndorf, Austria. Despite the severity of the injury, he recovered in time to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. At the Olympics, he placed 14th in the normal hill and 40th in the large hill men's individual ski jumping events. He concluded his competitive career by winning a silver medal with the Austrian team in the large hill team competition at the Sochi Olympics, which proved to be his last competitive jump. On September 26, 2014, Thomas Morgenstern officially announced his retirement from competitive ski jumping.
4. Competition Records and Statistics
This section presents detailed competition records and statistical data from Thomas Morgenstern's career. His personal best jump was 761 ft (232 m) in Planica, Slovenia, on March 19, 2011. His career spanned from 2002 to 2014, participating in 245 individual starts and 31 team starts in the World Cup. He achieved 23 individual wins and 16 team wins, accumulating 76 individual podiums and 31 team podiums.
4.1. World Cup Standings
| Season | Overall | Four Hills Tournament | Ski flying | Nordic Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | 20 | 10 | N/A | 9 |
| 2003/04 | 6 | 4 | N/A | 9 |
| 2004/05 | 7 | - | N/A | 8 |
| 2005/06 | 5 | 20 | N/A | - |
| 2006/07 | 6 | 4 | N/A | 17 |
| 2007/08 | 1 | 2 | N/A | 6 |
| 2008/09 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 8 |
| 2009/10 | 3 | 6 | 18 | - |
| 2010/11 | 1 | 1 | 3 | N/A |
| 2011/12 | 7 | 2 | 7 | N/A |
| 2012/13 | 25 | 16 | - | N/A |
| 2013/14 | 15 | 2 | - | N/A |
4.2. Individual World Cup Wins
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Hill | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002/03 | January 11, 2003 | Liberec, Czech Republic | Ještěd A K120 (night) | LH |
| 2 | 2005/06 | March 10, 2006 | Lillehammer, Norway | Lysgårdsbakken HS134 (night) | LH |
| 3 | 2007/08 | December 1, 2007 | Kuusamo, Finland | Rukatunturi HS142 (night) | LH |
| 4 | December 8, 2007 | Trondheim, Norway | Granåsen HS131 (night) | LH | |
| 5 | December 9, 2007 | Trondheim, Norway | Granåsen HS131 | LH | |
| 6 | December 13, 2007 | Villach, Austria | Villacher Alpenarena HS98 | NH | |
| 7 | December 14, 2007 | Villach, Austria | Villacher Alpenarena HS98 (night) | NH | |
| 8 | December 22, 2007 | Engelberg, Switzerland | Gross-Titlis-Schanze HS137 | LH | |
| 9 | December 30, 2007 | Oberstdorf, Germany | Schattenbergschanze HS137 (night) | LH | |
| 10 | February 2, 2008 | Sapporo, Japan | Ōkurayama HS134 (night) | LH | |
| 11 | February 3, 2008 | Sapporo, Japan | Ōkurayama HS134 | LH | |
| 12 | February 8, 2008 | Liberec, Czech Republic | Ještěd A HS134 (night) | LH | |
| 13 | 2009/10 | January 6, 2010 | Bischofshofen, Austria | Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze HS140 (night) | LH |
| 14 | January 16, 2010 | Sapporo, Japan | Ōkurayama HS134 (night) | LH | |
| 15 | 2010/11 | December 4, 2010 | Lillehammer, Norway | Lysgårdsbakken HS138 (night) | LH |
| 16 | December 5, 2010 | Lillehammer, Norway | Lysgårdsbakken HS138 | LH | |
| 17 | December 17, 2010 | Engelberg, Switzerland | Gross-Titlis-Schanze HS137 | LH | |
| 18 | December 18, 2010 | Engelberg, Switzerland | Gross-Titlis-Schanze HS137 | LH | |
| 19 | December 30, 2010 | Oberstdorf, Germany | Schattenbergschanze HS137 (night) | LH | |
| 20 | January 4, 2011 | Innsbruck, Austria | Bergiselschanze HS130 | LH | |
| 21 | January 9, 2011 | Harrachov, Czech Republic | Čerťák HS205 | FH | |
| 22 | 2011/12 | January 6, 2012 | Bischofshofen, Austria | Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze HS140 (night) | LH |
| 23 | 2013/14 | December 14, 2013 | Titisee-Neustadt, Germany | Hochfirstschanze HS142 | LH |
4.3. Other Major Competition Wins
This table lists Thomas Morgenstern's individual victories in other major ski jumping competitions outside the World Cup circuit.
| Competition | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ski Jumping Grand Prix | ||
| 1. | August 10, 2003 | Hinterzarten, Germany |
| 2. | August 14, 2005 | Courchevel, France |
| 3. | August 12, 2007 | Hinterzarten, Germany |
| 4. | August 18, 2007 | Einsiedeln, Switzerland |
| 5. | August 24, 2007 | Zakopane, Poland |
| 6. | July 17, 2011 | Wisła, Poland |
| 7. | July 20, 2011 | Szczyrk, Poland |
| 8. | July 23, 2011 | Zakopane, Poland |
| 9. | August 7, 2011 | Hinterzarten, Germany |
| 10. | August 13, 2011 | Courchevel, France |
| Nordic Ski Junior World Championships | ||
| 1. | February 8, 2003 | Solefteå, Sweden |
| FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup | ||
| 1. | December 15, 2002 | Lahti, Finland |
| 2. | December 21, 2002 | Liberec, Czech Republic |
| 3. | December 22, 2002 | Liberec, Czech Republic |
5. Honours and Awards
Throughout his career, Thomas Morgenstern received numerous accolades and honors recognizing his achievements in ski jumping:
- Gold Merit Badge of Austria: 2004
- Grand Decoration of Austria: 2006
- Austrian Sportspersonality of the year: 2008, 2011
- Part of the Austrian Sportsteam of the year, together with the Austrian ski jumping team: 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Carinthian Sportspersonality of the year: 4 times, including 2008, 2010
6. Personal Life
In 2013, Thomas Morgenstern ended his 10-year relationship with his then-girlfriend and subsequently vacationed in Hawaii with a new girlfriend, who was a physiotherapist. He has a daughter named Lily, born on December 26, 2012, with his ex-fiancee. With his current partner, Sabrina, he has twin daughters named Sara and Tina, born in 2021.
7. Legacy and Influence
Thomas Morgenstern is recognized as one of the most dominant and influential figures in ski jumping during his era. His consistent victories, particularly his record-breaking start to the 2007-08 season and multiple overall World Cup titles, firmly established him as a leading athlete. His achievements, including numerous Olympic and World Championship medals, cemented his place in the history of the sport and contributed significantly to Austria's success in ski jumping. His ability to overcome serious injuries and return to top-level competition, such as at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, further highlighted his resilience and dedication.