A Great Change in Ski Jumping: A New Hope for Poland

The aging elite of the Ski Jumping World Cup is not just represented by the 34-year-old Pius Paschke, who has become the oldest leader in the history of the series. To understand this trend better, we examined the statistics and found evidence supporting it. This trend bodes well for our rather not-so-young jumpers: Aleksander Zniszczoł, Jakub Wolny, and the slightly less experienced Paweł Wąsek, who have taken on the responsibility for generational change in Polish ski jumping this season. Contrary to what one might think, it is definitely not too late for them.

Jakub Wolny (Photo: Tadeusz Mieczyński / newspix.pl)

According to statistics provided by Andrzej Żurawski, well known on X under the name Ski Excel, we established that seniority is increasingly becoming an asset in this sport. The top 10 rankings show that experience is taking precedence over youth, with 30-somethings stepping onto the podium more frequently than ever before. In the last two seasons, the statistical data highlights a significant increase in the number of podium finishes by 30-year-olds, reflecting the trend towards older athletes being more competitive.

This change indicates that not only have the Polish jumpers reached a critical point in their careers, but they have also demonstrated that age is becoming less of a barrier to success. Athletes like Zniszczoł and Wolny, while not spring chickens, show promise for their careers to continue flourishing well into their 30s.