RIP: Austrias ski jumping legend Peter Nidetzky dies at 92

Austrian ski jumping star Peter Nidetzky has died at the age of 92, the Austrian Ski Association confirmed on Thursday.

Nidetzky was widely considered one of the pioneers of professional ski jumping and among the most successful athletes of his generation, winning a total of eight Olympic and World Championship medals between 1948 and 1956.

The Austrian Ski Association paid tribute to Nidetzky, calling him "one of the greatest ski jumpers of all time" and said that his death was a "great loss" for the sport.

Nine-time national champion

Nidetzky was born on March 6, 1930, in the town of Radstadt, Austria, and began ski jumping at the age of 12. He quickly rose through the ranks, winning his first national championship at the age of 16.

Nidetzky went on to win nine national championships in total, as well as two silver medals and one bronze medal at the Winter Olympics, and three gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Pioneer of the V-style

Nidetzky was also known for his pioneering use of the V-style, a technique that involves keeping the skis in a V-shape during the flight phase of the jump. This technique is now widely used by ski jumpers around the world.

Nidetzky retired from ski jumping in 1956 and went on to become a successful businessman. He was inducted into the Ski Jumping Hall of Fame in 2004.