Stephan Embacher now has to take care of himself
The ski jumping Olympic champion has moved out of his parents' home. The new circumstances could also be a sporting advantage.
ÖSV ski jumper Stephan Embacher has experienced a lot this year: Olympic gold, his first World Cup victory, and graduating from school. He also moved.
"I moved in with a former schoolmate from Stams in Thaur," the 20-year-old explained in an interview with the "Tiroler Tageszeitung".
The proximity to Bergisel, in particular, is a huge advantage. Instead of 45 minutes, he now only needs ten minutes to get to training. "That makes a difference in terms of regeneration," Embacher said.
No more school stress
The fact that he has now finished school is expected to positively impact his ski jumping career:
"I can get up when I have to go to training, not every day at 6:45 AM as before. I no longer have to study, sit in school for five hours, especially in winter. Then I'm completely stressed and expected to perform every weekend. You don't regenerate then. I believe that can be an advantage."
Embacher now has to manage his household himself
However, the 2026 Superteam Olympic champion also warns:
"Just because I have better regeneration doesn't mean it will immediately work out. I now have a completely different training rhythm and no longer live where household chores are done or food is cooked for me. A lot has changed."
The 20-year-old still has to grow into the role of head of the household. At least when it comes to cooking, he shows a willingness to experiment: "Recently I even cooked a lasagna. My first lasagna!"
