When will Piotr Żyła return? "He will definitely be ready"

Polish fans were surprised by coach Thomas Thurnbichler's decision to leave Piotr Żyła out of the squad for the opening World Cup competitions in Lillehammer, Norway. Thurnbichler explained that this was due to surgery that Żyła underwent in August. However, there is good news. According to former Polish team physiotherapist Rafał Kot, Żyła should be ready for the competitions in Wisła. This plan is also supported by the Polish Ski Association (PZN).

Dawid Kubacki, Paweł Wąsek, Aleksander Zniszczoł, Kamil Stoch, and Maciej Kot make up the Polish team for the competitions in Lillehammer, which will kick off the new World Cup season.

Before the second training camp, the selection included Dawid Kubacki, Paweł Wąsek, and Aleksander Zniszczoł, who performed best during training sessions in Zakopane. The final two spots were tightly contested between Kamil Stoch and Maciej Kot, who won the recent test competition, thus securing their place in Lillehammer.

The biggest absence is undoubtedly Piotr Żyła, who is recovering after knee surgery in August. Thurnbichler has stated that the jumper will prepare to compete in Wisła in early December.

Such a scenario appears very likely, as confirmed by former Polish team physiotherapist and current member of the PZN board, Rafał Kot. "He will definitely be ready for the events in Poland. Piotrek is eager to jump. If the doctor gives him the go-ahead, he would probably resume training just two days after arthroscopy. However, he must be careful not to injure himself," Kot said.

He also expressed his belief that both for Żyła and for the entire Polish ski jumping team, this season will be better than the last, where the highest-ranked Polish jumper, Aleksander Zniszczoł, finished in only 19th place.

Competitions in Lillehammer are scheduled for November 22, 23, and 24, with jumpers arriving in Wisła on December 7-8.