Photo: Sven Mandel / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sven Hannawald is, to me, a genuine legend of ski jumping, and not only for the obvious reason. Yes, his 2002 Four Hills sweep, winning all four events, was historic and untouchable for years. But what makes him resonate beyond the record book is his openness about burnout, retiring because he had emptied himself completely. An athlete who flew further than almost anyone, then admitted the human cost of that flight, is rare and brave. From East German Saxony to motorsport later on, he chased speed his whole life. I value him for owning both the glory and the fragility underneath it.
Overview
Sven Hannawald (German pronunciation: [svɛn ˈhanaˌvalt] ; born 9 November 1974) is a German former ski jumper. Having competed from 1992 to 2004, his career highlight was winning the 2002 Four Hills Tournament, when he also became the first athlete to win all four events of said tournament.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sven Hannawald
- Name (Japanese)
- スヴェン・ハンナバルト
- Reading
- すゔぇん・はんなばると
- Born
- November 9, 1974 (age 51)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Tiger
- Origin
- Erlabrunn, Saxony, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 184 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- ski jumper / racing automobile driver / association football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2002 Golden Feather
- 2012 Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
- Germany's Sports Hall of Fame
- 2002 German Sportspersonality of the Year
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Ski jumper — see all → · Racing automobile driver — see all → · More people from Germany →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.