Exciting Battle for World Championship Qualification: Polish Ski Jumping in USA Makes Big Changes

Polish Ski Jumping on the Rise

It was a beautiful day for Polish ski jumping! Following Maciej Kot’s triumph in the Continental Cup, the complete Polish team took part in the second round of the World Cup event in Lake Placid. This marks the decisive phase in the battle for a spot at the World Championships in Trondheim. Paweł Wąsek, who finished a strong ninth, is virtually guaranteed a place. Meanwhile, detailed calculations by TVP Sport clarify which other athletes stand a chance at competing for medals. Selection for the final team is expected to be extremely challenging.

The Competition and Point Standings

The Polish team gathered valuable points in Lake Placid. According to Mateusz Leleń from TVP Sport, the current World Cup point tallies for potential World Championship qualifiers are as follows:

• Aleksander Zniszczoł: 43 points (9 starts)
• Piotr Żyła: 43 points (8 starts)
• Dawid Kubacki: 42 points (7 starts)
• Jakub Wolny: 41 points (9 starts)
• Kamil Stoch: 7 points (3 starts)
• Maciej Kot: 0 points (record in Continental Cup)

All indications suggest that Zniszczoł, alongside the ever-consistent Wąsek, is nearly a sure bet for Trondheim. Piotr Żyła is also scoring well, while the performances of Kubacki and Wolny remain uncertain. Additionally, Kamil Stoch – absent from the USA event – is expected to vie for a spot by convincing the management, possibly during the upcoming Sapporo meetings.

Notable Performances

Paweł Wąsek has now finished in the top ten on six occasions this season in World Cup competitions. His best results listed include:

• 4th in Oberstdorf on 26.01.2025
• 5th in Innsbruck on 04.01.2025
• 5th in Zakopane on 19.01.2025
• 6th in Niżny Tagil on 06.12.2020
• 8th in Bischofshofen on 06.01.2025
• 9th in Lake Placid on 09.02.2025
• 10th in Oberstdorf on 29.12.2024

The competition was equally thrilling at the top podium positions. Daniel Tschofenig edged out his Austrian teammate Jan Hoerla, and Slovenian Anze Lanisek clinched third place. As noted by the official Viessmann FIS Ski Jumping World Cup account, "Incredible battle for the top spots in Lake Placid – Tschofenig secured victory with his crazy final jump."

Thank you for reading our article. Stay tuned for more updates on Polish ski jumping as the fight for the World Championships continues!