In the series "FIS Ski Jumping-Talk" we present interviews with ski jumping athletes and officials. Today: Eva Pinkelnig (26), Austrian ski jumper.

Eva Pinkelnig from the city of Dornbirn in Austria appeared in the World Cup last year out of nowhere. Only two years, after she started ski jumping. In her first ever World Cup competition in Lillehammer Pinkelnig finished 15th. An unbelievable story, that was topped by her great seventh place in the overall World Cup of her very first season.

FIS Ski Jumping: Eva, the season has been over for a few weeks now. How did you spend the free time?

Eva Pinkelnig: Right after the season I went on vacation, I tried to come to terms with what happened. Also positive experiences have to be dealt with and realized. We are now training again for a week. During the three weeks before that I had some with fun with skiing, climbing, hiking, playing soccer. Just being active.

FIS Ski Jumping: You have probably told your story a thousand times. But we ask again, because it's really exceptional: How did you start ski jumping?

Pinkelnig: Actually I always wanted to ski jump, this was my secret wish. And I always thought that I want to take the chance if I get it some time. No matter how old I am. In September 2012 a promotional event for the EYOF was held in my home town and a mobile hill was set up. I spent the whole day there. Then I was asked to come to one of the trainings. That was late September 2012. In the same winter I was already jumping on 50m-hills, the following winter I was competing in the Austria-Cup and a year later in the World Cup.

FIS Ski Jumping: Did you ever think you would have a chance to make it to the World Cup? Or was it just about having fun doing it?

Pinkelnig: It was my childhood dream to jump 100 m. I always thought this must be amazing. At the beginning I also said that I would like to help with the work in the club, like doing warm-up training with the kids and other stuff. But I didn't want to compete anymore. I was not interested in it anymore, this was over for me. In December 2013 we had no 90m-hill in Vorarlberg and so the coaches told me to take part in the Austria-Cup so I can jump on a larger hill. I did that and I never expected that it would take me this far.

FIS Ski Jumping: What other sports did you do before you started ski jumping?

Pinkelnig: I was an alpine skier, competed in races on the FIS-level and went to a ski high school. Besides that I also did a lot of climbing, skiing, playing soccer. So I was top fit when I started ski jumping. Not specifically in ski jumping, but I went jogging a lot, also short distances, which was good for the speed. This made it easier for me to learn the technique.

FIS Ski Jumping: You took a high risk for ski jumping, you quit your job and went all-in. How did other people react when you told them "Hey, I'm going to be a ski jumper"?

Pinkelnig: I was working in public service as an educator. I had a notice period of three months so I had to make a decision relatively early. I quit the job in August 2014. At that time I was far from the World Cup level but I knew it was the right decision already after the first competition. Only my closest friends and family knew that I was training with the national team. We didn't want to make a big deal out of it, then it was a pretty big surprise. My friends and family supported me because they knew it has always been my dream. I got their full support and I knew that they would help me if I needed them.

FIS Ski Jumping: Now your first World Cup season is history. How would you sum it up?

Pinkelnig: (laughs) I can still not completely believe it. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed being part of the ski jumping circuit right from the start, also with the other athletes. I really liked jumping on new hills, before that I only knew Oberstdorf and Hinzenbach. It was a lot of fun to jump in Japan, in Slovenia and in all the other countries and on the famous Holmenkollen. It was my goal at the beginning of the season to somehow make it into the Top 30 so I can take part in the final there. That I was able to compete there is still a little wonder for me and actually unbelievable.

FIS Ski Jumping: When an athlete was close to the podium in quite a few competitions, he sure wants to make that final step as well some time. Is that the case for you as well, or are you satisfied with the way it is?

Pinkelnig: For the first season it was simply great and a lot more than I ever expected. Now, after I was that close, of course I want to be on the podium. I will do my best now and do more specific ski jumping training. But first and foremost it's still about making a good jump and have fun.

FIS Ski Jumping: Most of the other athletes probably started training when they were five or six years old in order to make it to the World Cup. For you it happened within two years. Are there moments when the others eye you suspiciously?

Pinkelnig: Yes, there are. But when you are in the Top 10 I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that you are a late starter. It's part of competitive sports and so you can't take offense. I don't care about that. For me it's more of a motivation to repeat it.

FIS Ski Jumping: You know ladies' ski jumping from the outside and from the inside. How do you see your sport?

Pinkelnig: It's a pretty young sport with extreme potential. The competitions are getting more interesting, the field is getting tighter, the level increases. There are more and more athletes on a top level. I hope that we will get more competitions at Olympic Games and World Championships in the future and more chances to present ourselves and show our skills. The sport has an upward trend, it will continue in that direction over the next years.

FIS Ski Jumping: When you talk about more competititions, you sure would want to jump on the large hill?

Pinkelnig: Of course. You could see in Oslo that at least the Top 30 can handle this large hill. And how are we supposed to improve if we don't get more competitions on these facilities?

FIS Ski Jumping: Last question: Which headline would you like to read about yourself in the future?

Pinkelnig: That's a difficult question. I didn't read everything in the past, but of course there are still some goals left. Being World Champion one day would be cool. But that's still a long way to go.

FIS Ski Jumping: We cross our fingers and wish you a successful training period for the next season.

Source: fis-ski.com