In a shocking announcement, Kilian Jornet announced his retirement from international trail running, a sport he has dominated since bursting onto the scene 15 years ago. Regarded by many as the greatest mountain runner in the history of the sport, the 32-year-old Jornet said that after years of competition he is ready to slow down and spend time with his young family in Norway, where they live on a small farm.
“I’ve been traveling the world for 15 years, and it has been wonderful to compete with great athletes and form connections with people through trail running,” Jornet said. “I never imagined where it would take me, but it’s time to relax and take stock of things. It’s strange for people to think of me sitting at the end of the dock with my fishing pole, but it has been a welcome change. The fish don’t ask for selfies or expect me to break records, they just want to taste the worm on the end of the line, and that simplicity has been good for me after years of going as fast as possible.”
Jornet and his partner, Swedish trail runner Emelie Forsberg, welcomed a daughter just over a year ago and have been living a quiet life on their Moon Valley Farm in Norway.
Salomon, a partner of Jornet’s since the beginning, is helping him pursue his newfound passion by collaborating on a line of S/LAB fishing products, a new frontier for the outdoor brand. In the spring of 2021, Salomon will launch the S/LAB fishing pole. Relying on the company’s carbon expertise in winter sports and footwear, the S/LAB fishing pole offers the perfect combination of rigidity and lightness. It also delivers maximum power transmission and minimal vibration to reduce fatigue. The injected cork handle offers optimized hand positioning for better energy transmission from wrist to rod when casting or reeling in your catch. Jornet, always an equipment aficionado, has embraced his role as a collaborator on the fishing project.
“Salomon has been a partner since my teenage years, so it made sense to help launch this new fishing category,” Jornet said. “I always thought fishing was just standing on the shore staring into the abyss, but there is an art to it. Like in the outdoors, the right gear is important and Norwegian weather is unpredictable, so I will continue to rely on my S/LAB outerwear and Salomon Speedcross GTX® shoes as I wait for the fish to bite.”
Jornet is excited to share his fishing exploits on his popular social media channels and expressed appreciation to his fans who will no doubt be disappointed with his decision to step away from competition.
“I would like to thank all my followers for their support. It has been an incredible journey,” Jornet said. “But for me, the feeling of winning a big race is not the same as it once was, and I have found the same exhilaration in hooking a fish on the end of my line. But don’t worry, as I am mostly a vegetarian, I will always practice a catch-and-release philosophy. See you on the water!”
Click here to know more about Kilian's project and the S/Lab Carbon Fishing Rod.
Hope you all enjoyed this laugh today in these tough times. Take care of yourselves and each other… Stay safe and stay inside! See you on the trail again soon.
