Two-time ski jumping world champion Richard Freitag is retiring with immediate effect.
The 30-year-old Saxon announced this on Saturday as part of the Ski Flying World Cup in Oberstdorf, where he was no longer in action.
With eight victories in the World Cup, the Olympic silver medalist from Pyeongchang is the seventh best German jumper in history in the team competition.
"In the past few weeks it has become clear to me that I can no longer achieve my personal goals, despite my great commitment," said the sports soldier Freitag in his former adopted home in the Allgäu: "I had a really nice time and was able to gain a lot of valuable experience, yes it's time to stop and move on to something new."
Most recently, Freitag lost touch and once again missed out on a place in the World Cup team.
At times he was only at the start in the third-rate FIS Cup.
At the Four Hills Tournament, the noble technician, who had long attracted attention with his distinctive mustache, did not even make it to a start over the extended squad of the "national group".
In January he made his last two appearances in the World Cup with the B squad in Titisee-Neustadt and showed improving form with 21st place each time.
Freitag, who in 2015 in Innsbruck had ensured the first German day victory in a Four Hills Tournament in 13 years, had his best season in the 2017/18 Olympic winter, when he temporarily led the overall World Cup.
The sticking point in his career was the tour of that season, for which he had started as a favorite, but had a bad fall in Innsbruck and had to drop out.
After that, he still won team silver in Pyeongchang and became team world champion in 2019, but he never found his old strength again.
He left open what plans Friday will now pursue.
"I'm currently examining various options - I haven't made a specific decision yet," he said.
Ski jumping was my great passion and I always considered it a privilege to be able to practice this sport.”