Stefan Kraft has put an outer limit on his career for the first time. Speaking to Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung, the 33-year-old from Salzburg said: "As long as I enjoy it, I'll keep going." But he added: "At the latest after the 2030 Olympics, it really is over." It is a ceiling, not a farewell tour – Kraft was clear that this is not a formal retirement announcement.
"The next win" still drives him
There is no sign of fatigue in Austria's most decorated active jumper. Asked what still motivates him after winning almost every major title, Kraft's answer was blunt: "The next victory!" He wants to stand on top of the podium again. Even training provides a rush, he explained, describing the feeling of soaring 148 metres on the Bischofshofen hill as incredible.
If the passion stays, Kraft said, he would happily continue for four more years. That points squarely at the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps, when he would be 37.
Learning from the youngsters
Kraft was candid about how he spent his summer. He says he jumped more than ever before, and that his in-run position is now more stable and lower – a change he openly credits to watching his younger Austrian teammates, who he says keep him energised. According to skispringen.com, he also experimented with new equipment, including skis and suit.
The work has already shown up in results. At the Summer Grand Prix in Courchevel, Kraft finished ninth and third, Sport1 reported – an early sign that the technical adjustments are paying off.
Unfinished Olympic business
The 2030 target is no accident. Kraft has won nearly everything in ski jumping, but an individual Olympic medal still eludes him after three Games. His only Olympic medal is team gold from Beijing 2022. At Milan Cortina last February, he finished 27th on the normal hill and 36th on the large hill, according to Sport1 – a bitter outcome for a jumper of his calibre.
Ski JumpingRaimund edges Wellinger for German title, Reisch wins women's crownGoing public with a deadline now also settles questions about his future. Kraft has been the constant in the Austrian team for years while a new generation pushes through. His statement takes the heat out of speculation about an abrupt exit, while leaving him free to stop earlier if the enjoyment or the results fade.
Lahti still holds a special place
In the interview Kraft also singled out Lahti as one of his favourite hills. The Finnish venue is where he enjoyed his greatest individual triumph, sweeping normal hill and large hill gold at the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships.
The first real test of his reworked in-run comes with the 2026/27 World Cup winter. Before that, the Summer Grand Prix concludes in Klingenthal, finishing with a mixed team event on 25 October, where jumpers will compete on a hybrid set-up with an ice track in the in-run and mats on the landing hill.
