Ski jumping: Louis Obersteiner to jump for France
At the end of last season, the first rumours of Louis Obersteiner joining the French ski jumping team began to emerge. During the World Cup finals in Planica (Slovenia), former ski jumper Nicolas Jean-Prost mentioned the possibility toEurosport.
Finally, on April 29, the Franco-Austrian wasnamed in the French national squad alongside Ari Repellin, Jules Chervet, Enzo Milesi and Valentin Foubert, the leader of Les Bleus. Louis Obersteiner, who was crowned world junior team champion in 2023 and won a FIS Cup last winter, has decided to change his sporting nationality.
“His mother is French and he was born in France, so he has dual nationality, Etienne Gouy, director of the French ski jumping teams, tells Nordic Magazine. He started ski jumping in France before going to Salzburg to attend school in Austria, but he has a house in Les Contamines-Montjoie.”
(Very) likely reinforcement for the French team
It was two years ago that Louis Obersteiner first contacted the French Ski Federation (FFS). “Last year, it didn’t go any further, but during the winter, he really expressed the wish to change country, rewinds Etienne Gouy. We did all the paperwork. At the moment, we’re waiting for the FIS to examine his case. Normally, things should work out and he could jump for France. After that, the IOC will also have to give its opinion, so it’s possible that they’ll veto him for three years.”
Be that as it may, this (very) likely reinforcement of the French team – which only needs to be officially ratified by the sporting institutions – is inevitably good news for French jumping.
“He’s still young, but he’s already at a very good level and has great potential, enthuses the head of French ski jumping. His plan is to finish his studies in Austria, so he’ll do a few internships with us, but he’ll train mainly there.”
Etienne Gouy concludes with a word of warning: “Just because he became a Frenchman in Austria doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to compete at the very highest level. He’ll have to do the work like everyone else!”
