Career
He is the all-time leader in points, podiums (133) and top 10 appearances (245). With 36 victories, Ahonen has the fourth-most behind Gregor Schlierenzauer, Matti Nykänen and Adam Małysz. In 2005, Ahonen was named the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year.
Ahonen announced his retirement from ski jumping on 28 March 2008, with a farewell competition held in Lahti on 9 July 2008.
After a season"s absence, he returned for two more seasons in 2009/10 and 2010/11. During his ski jumping career, Ahonen has been known for his apparent lack of emotion and is rarely seen smiling even on the podium.
When asked for a reason, he responded with "We came here to jump and not to smile." In Finnish interviews Ahonen often made sarcastic comments with dry humour. The German press nicknamed Ahonen "Der Mann mit der Maske" ("The Manitoba with the Mask"), in reference to the distinctive plastic masks he wore in competitions from 1996 until 2002.
In Finland, Ahonen is often called "Kuningaskotka" ("King Eagle").
On 10 January 2013, Ahonen announced that he would come out of retirement for a second time, with the aim of winning a medal in an individual event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He went on to finish 29th on the normal hill and 22nd on the large hill. Standings
Wins
In addition to ski jumping, Ahonen has successfully competed in drag racing, winning the Finnish and Nordic Championships.
In 2006, Ahonen set the new European record.
