Jonas Müller Ends Career: Nothing Must, Everything Can
Olympic track luger Jonas Müller is ending his active career. The athlete from Vorarlberg, who won silver medals in both the singles and the team relay at his Olympic debut in Cortina last February, is drawing a line under a decade in professional sport.
Müller first came to international attention in 2016 when he won the Junior European Championship, the same year he made his World Cup debut. In 2019, he announced himself at the highest level with World Championship gold in the sprint in Winterberg. A year later, he added World Championship silver over the Olympic distance in Sochi. The seasons that followed were less kind. Müller struggled for form and missed out on Olympic qualification for Beijing 2022.
"Missing the Beijing Games was an extreme blow. As great as the disappointment was at the time, looking back it actually made me stronger. I changed my mindset and approached things with less intensity. Nothing must, everything can – with that attitude, the lightness returned, and with it the quality." (Jonas Müller)
In 2023, the athlete struck gold at the World Championships in the German luge stronghold of Oberhof, becoming the fifth Austrian World Champion in the men's singles and launching an impressive run of success. In 2024, he claimed his first European Championship title on home ice in Igls and successfully defended it twice in succession. Arriving in Cortina last February as one of the favourites, with three seasonal victories already to his name, Müller delivered at his Olympic debut with two silver medals in the singles and the team relay. In the World Cup, he celebrated nine victories and 27 podium finishes in the singles. With the relay team, he claimed two World Cup victories, finished as World Championship runner-up in 2023 and won the European Championship team title in 2024.
"I always dreamed of competing at the Olympic Games – that was my driving force and my greatest goal. Unlike my first, I got off to a very good start in my second Olympics. Not everything was perfect, but when it mattered most, I delivered. The Olympic Games have their own laws – I can confirm that now – which makes the two silvers from Cortina all the more special." (Jonas Müller)
The 28-year-old from Vorarlberg cited a lack of motivation as the reason for his retirement, saying that even the home World Championships next February was no longer enough of an incentive.
"I had a wonderful time with great successes and I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me along the way. Above all, my parents, the coaching and support team, the entire squad and the federation. The effort required to compete at the very top is enormous. A season lasts fourteen weeks, and the preparation extends over eight months. I would need to be back in full training by now to be in a position to compete for the top results. The hunger for success has faded – it is the right time to open a new chapter away from elite sport." (Jonas Müller)
Austria's hopes in the men's singles now rest on the class and experience of Wolfgang Kindl, Nico and David Gleirscher. Noah Kallan (21) and Fabio Zauser (20) are set to add further competition for World Cup start places and selections for the World and European Championships. Junior World Champion Paul Socher (2018) will also receive his first outings in the senior category during the 2026/27 World Cup season.
Markus Prock, President of Rodel Austria, said: "Of course we would have been delighted had Jonas continued his career, but his decision is entirely to be respected. Jonas has given luge a bigger stage with his performances. He always supported the team, will certainly be missed as a person and as an athlete, and will always be part of the luge family. We wish him all the very best for his future."
