Iouri Podladtchikov is flying again
Image: Keystone
The 2014 Olympic halfpipe champion is back in the mood at the age of 36
Image: Keystone
Skateboarding and fitness: Iouri Podladtchikov was also active as an artist
Image: Keystone
Iouri Podladtchikov is feeling his way back on the trampoline
Image: Keystone
In 2020, falls and injuries forced Iouri Podladtchikov to retire
Image: Keystone
Iouri Podladtchikov is flying again
Image: Keystone
The 2014 Olympic halfpipe champion is back in the mood at the age of 36
Image: Keystone
Skateboarding and fitness: Iouri Podladtchikov was also active as an artist
Image: Keystone
Iouri Podladtchikov is feeling his way back on the trampoline
Image: Keystone
In 2020, falls and injuries forced Iouri Podladtchikov to retire
Image: Keystone
Inspired by Lindsey Vonn and with the firm idea of rewriting the last page of his story at the 2026 Olympic Games, Iouri Podladtchikov is returning to the halfpipe in Laax.
17.01.2025, 04:31
17.01.2025, 07:42
SDA
It's great to be flying again, says Iouri Podladtchikov on this Wednesday afternoon after training in the infamous Laax halfpipe, which regularly attracts the world's elite. The joy of being an athlete again can be seen in his belly at the Caffè NoName on the summit of Crap Sogn Gion. But also an inner turmoil.
Podladtchikov was away for five years. After a series of setbacks and injuries, including severe concussions and a torn Achilles tendon, he announced his retirement in August 2020. The tough coronavirus period also took its toll on him. "My head was no longer clear," he says. The artist immersed himself in the art world, studied in New York and devoted himself to photography.
Now he feels like it again. The comebacks of other winter sports athletes have inspired him, especially that of Lindsey Vonn. The same goes for skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, who at the age of 50 once again conjured up the trick, the 900, in the halfpipe with which he set new standards in 1999. Artist friends - "those who can see so beautifully through me" - finally encouraged Podladtchikov to follow his inner voice: "When I wasn't doing much sport, I was at my worst as a person."
Five years and a quantum leap
Yes, he was away for five years, says Podladtchikov. "But I never did nothing. I went to the gym and skated regularly, and you never stop snowboarding anyway. The athlete in me never died." The comeback was therefore a smaller step than coming back from an injury. "I didn't start from scratch, I'm fit and keen. After an injury, you start from the bottom. You're physically and mentally broken, you have to go through a tough phase to get fit again. That's no fun."
Podladtchikov's comeback at the age of 36 is certainly risky. Led by the Japanese armada, which currently occupies five of the top seven places in the World Cup, the "level in the halfpipe has exploded in the last five years", as Swiss national halfpipe coach Patrick Cinca says. Triple corks, for example, which Podladtchikov did not have in his repertoire, are now ubiquitous. What's more, Podladtchikov's comeback only materialized at the beginning of December - a short period of time to get back to the level physically and technically to be able to keep up after such a long time. Even though he has also been a regular part-time coach for several years.
Podladtchikov describes what he did on the snowboard during his years of sporting retirement as like driving a go-kart compared to Formula 1. He ponders whether his return is sensible - and says: "There are many dangerous things..."
Winning is not the goal
The 2014 Olympic champion in Sochi wants to make something clear after the media coverage in recent days: "My goal is not to get back to the top of the world. My goal is not to win and not to keep up with the top 3 or top 5. That would be negligent! I'm no longer driven by this sportsman's mindset. What I'm doing now is a lap of honor."
Nevertheless, the Zurich native, who often speaks in images, is not competing without ambition. He wants a better end. His big goal is the 2026 Olympic Games in northern Italy. There he wants to "rewrite the last page of my story", eliminate this perceived "budget cut" - the choppy, unrounded ending - from his film. Podladtchikov believes he has a better last run in his career than the one in Laax in January 2020, when he finished in 5th place and crashed on his second run.
"I want to show a run that is good enough for the Olympic qualification and the Olympic final. That alone is a huge project. But the tricks I have in my repertoire should be enough if I can do them cleanly again," Podladtchikov believes.
The comeback in Laax, where he will compete in the semi-finals on Friday at midday, is a mental test for Podladtchikov in particular: "Physique is one thing, the head is another." Coach Patrick Cinca believes that his protégé is "really capable of reaching the final, even in a top-class home World Cup. He has the tricks, he has the height, he has the technique. Now it's about getting his head ready again".
