At the World Cup in Les Rousses, the 30-year-old from Graubünden achieved 9th place in the 10 km freestyle, his best World Cup result to date. His previous personal best was a 15th place in the 15 km freestyle in Ulricehamn, Sweden.
In addition to his sporting achievements, Rüesch is also committed to academia. In September 2024, he began a Master's degree in Innovative Finance at the University of Liechtenstein. Despite the challenges of top-class sport, he has so far been able to successfully combine his studies with his career. “The compatibility of top-class sport and studies has worked well overall. Although I was rarely on site, I was able to engage with the material through regular exchanges with other students and literature research. Moodle was particularly helpful, as I could see what content was being covered at any time,” explains Rüesch.
Time management and discipline play a crucial role here. One example of this is his course in Financial Economics: “I was only able to be on site once and worked through the rest of the material on my own using the literature provided. The literature was challenging and sometimes difficult to understand, but it was still doable.” However, he admits that it was a challenge to rarely be on site. “You don't always know exactly what the focus of the exams is. Even if you study the material intensively, you sometimes lack a sense of which topics are particularly prioritized.”
Rüesch describes the first semester as a challenge, but one that was manageable with the right attitude and organization. For the second semester, he expects an even more difficult balance, as he will probably be on the road more often. “When things are going well athletically, I'll be traveling even more. Although there is time to study in the meantime, it is more difficult to be physically present at the university.”
Fortunately, he has been able to take all his exams on site so far, which may not always be possible in the future. “The athlete status helps me because I can minimize attendance times and postpone exams.” The regular exchange with the university and coordination with the Swiss-Ski Team make it easier for him to organize. The great support of the University of Liechtenstein, which helps him to successfully complete his studies with flexible learning models, digital resources and individual solutions, deserves special mention.
Despite all the challenges, Rüesch is happy to have taken on this double burden. “Combining top-class sport at the highest level with a Master's degree is demanding, but at the same time a valuable school of life that also prepares me perfectly for my career after sport.”
30-year-old Jason Rüesch was born in Davos and is a dual citizen of Switzerland and Canada. He speaks German, English and French and is a member of SC Davos. His career highlights to date include participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, three World Championships appearances with a 4th place in the relay and an 11th place over 50 km, as well as a 2nd place and a 3rd place with the relay in the World Cup.
With his determination and discipline, Jason Rüesch sets standards at both sporting and academic level and serves as a role model for the successful combination of competitive sport and study. “I have big goals in sport as well as in my studies and I aim for the best conditions. That's why I opted for the Master's in Innovative Finance at the University of Liechtenstein. The flexible study structure and the intensive exchange enable me to combine my sporting career and academic ambitions in the best possible way.”