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| |
| Name: |
Alan Jacob Alborn |
| Birth Date: |
December 13th, 1980 |
| Height / Weight: |
1,77 m / 59 kg ( 5-11 / 130 ) |
| Hometown: |
Anchorage, AK |
Facts & Figures
... private life :
 |
was home-schooled by his mum |
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loves "Top Gun", enjoys old US-cars of the 50s and 60s and
would like to fly a jumbo jet one day |
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has a pilot's license, owns a single engine Cessna 185, wanted
to become a commercial pilot himself |
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is an "uncle", his sister Brianna had a daughter in 2002 |
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lived in Colorado for some time after his Dad was transfered
in 1994 |
... ski jumping :
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started skiing at 2, jumping at 9 with the Karl Eid Program |
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1997: first Junior World Championships at the age of 16 |
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1997: 3rd after the first round of the US Nationals,
but ripped his binding on the final jump |
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1998: first Olympic Games in Nagano/JPN with just 17
years |
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00/01: one of the strongest seasons of his career, with
an 11th rank in Planica |
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March 2001: US distance record in Oberstdorf/GER with
221.5m |
|
SGP '01: best summer perfomances of his career, 6th in
Courchevel/FRA |
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September '01: first American ever to win 3 consecutive
COC competitions in a row (Calgary [2] and Park City) |
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2002: disappointing Olympics, best result is an 11th
rank K90, retirement rumours come up once again |
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Summer 2002: knee surgery influences his training for
the upcoming winter season |
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02/03: announces his retirement after the final ski
flying event in Planica/SLO, lasting knee and motivation problems make it seem
impossible for him to go on |
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Summer 2003: spends time at home and in Norway with
family and friends, works in his Dad's excavation business for several months |
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Dec. 14th, 2003: tries first few jumps on Park City's
K64 after his career end nine months before |
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April 2004: announces his comeback |
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May 2004: summer training in Park City starts |
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July 2004: first national competition in Park City, UT,
after his break - Alborn places 4th the first day, with the longest flights of
the day but a crash, and 2nd in a Super Tour event behind nordic combined
national team athlete Todd Lodwick |
|
August 2004: two wins on Park City's K90
in the Springertournee finals |
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September 2004: Summer Grand Prix in
Innsbruck/AUT, Zakopane/POL and Predazzo/ITA - finishes 48th and 36th, doesn't
qualify in Poland |
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October 2004: 1st in Park City, Super
Tour, in front of nordic combined summer champ Todd Lodwick and teammate Clint
Jones |
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November 2004: Alborn is back in the
world cup - 37th and 50th in Kuusamo/FIN |
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December 2004: world cups in Trondheim
and Harrachov, best finish: 34th |
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January 2005: fails to qualify for
Oberstdorf, Garmisch and Bischofshofen, but finishes as 47th in Innsbruck/AUT,
is 67th overall |
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January 14th, 2005: 212.0m in Bad
Mitterndorf/AUT in training, 35th and 30th, scoring first world cup points of
the winter |
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Late January 2005: an alpine skiing
accident ends his winter season - doctors diagnose a torn ACL |
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February 2005: he gets surgery once
again, starts rehab in Park City, UT, hopes to start training again in summer |
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June 2005: rehab and first training
sessions go well, hopes to start jumping again soon |
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October 2005: COC comeback in Lake
Placid, NY - 13th on the K90 |
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November 2005: world cup comeback in
Kuusamo/FIN - 29th + 45th |
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December 2005: Top30 in Norway, several
Top50s in Czechia and Switzerland |
|
January 2005: no 4-hills-tourney, but
FIS Ski Flying World Championships in Austria - 34th in the end out of the
world's best ski flyers |
Alan about. . .
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his childhood: "We'd go to our cabin, about 100 miles north of
Anchorage, ride snowmobiles and just explore the outdoors for the weekend." |
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his US distance record: "It was pretty cool... " |
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the Olympics 1998: "It was a little bit overwhelming. For myself the
focus was primarily on the competition. Definitely being in the Olympic
Village and being part of the team was fun at the time, but probably the most
overwhelming time was after the Olympics was over, when you actually realize
what the whole deal was about." |
|
ski jumping and fear: "With ski jumping you're the one in control,
but there's enough speed and enough height that if you screw up you can hurt
yourself pretty bad. It's in the back of your mind all the time, but I do it
so often, it's almost like I could do it in my sleep." |
|
his injury during the 4-hills 2001: "That ankle injury during the
Four Hills Tournament was pretty rough. I was a sprain, but I couldn't do
anything. I just had to take it easy - no running, no weight-lifting, no plyos.
If I'd broken it, that probably would've done me in, but as it turned out, it
was good because it gave me a chance to get my desire back." |
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his 6th rank in Courchevel, August 2001: "I was within 3 points of
being third place in the hardest competition I ever skied in. With a little
better jumps and luck I could have been first, but I figured 6th was a good
start." |
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the Olympics 2002 (from fall / winter 2001): "It's the mental
getaway that will make the difference. In Europe it's pretty much the same
competition but afterwards there's not much to do what you're used to.
Overall, it will be a lot easier, mentally, to be in the US. Plus there's
always the advantage of knowing your home hills and venues." |
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his attitude and motivation: "I hope I am spurring interest in
younger aged jumpers to really focus and stick with the sport, so they will
also have a chance to achieve their dreams. It is possible, you just have to
believe and stay focused. You can do anything with a little time allowed. This
is what I have found to be true." |
|
his first jumps after Planica '03: "It was really fun but strange.
It seemed at the time when I was at the skijump that I had not been gone for 9
years. It was really nice though. I jumped to the bottom of the hill a few
times so that hurt my knee a little so I called it a day." |
| |
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