The decision to quit the multiple world champion and paralympic gold medalist was made after the Beijing Olympics.
Reigning Paralympic Gold Medalist Matti Suur-Hamari does not continue his race career. The final race for Imatra and Greater Hamar, who later moved to Kuusamo, was the Beijing Paralympics, from which he took snowboarding paracross gold and banked slalom silver.
– Already in the last couple of years, I have matured the idea that the flame is still burning and that there are still goals. The heat of the flame has still been enough and motivation has been found, but in Beijing the decision materialized, Suur-Hamari says in a press release.
Greater Hamari was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2009, when his left leg was amputated below the knee. In 2013, he was the first Finn to compete in the World Paralympic World Cup.
He competed in three Paralympics in his career, winning gold twice in cross country and banked in slalom bronze and silver. In addition, he has won three world championships, the X Games, the Dew Tour, the World Cup overall, and the first handicap for the handicapped in the snowboard cross.
According to Greater Hamar, the Beijing Gold Medal was the seal on his decision to quit.
– I started to think that now everything that can be won on the right side has been won.
– I still wanted to give myself peace after Beijing to celebrate the matter and celebrate the medal so that no decisions are made in any emotional turmoil. Now that he has been able to breathe and celebrate at home and see friends, yes, day by day, it has been confirmed that the race career is allowed to be here.