Pius Paschke: 'I Have a Clear Plan for the World Championships'

Before the Nordic Ski World Championships: Pius Paschke – "I Have a Clear Plan for the World Championships"

Published: 27.02.2025, 05:00

In this interview, ski jumper Pius Paschke talks about his preparations for the upcoming Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim. He recalls his enjoyable experience at a training camp last summer when he first got acquainted with the hill during winter, and expresses excitement about the modern, yet wind-sensitive hill with a flatter flight curve.

Sportschau: The Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim are about to begin. How do you view this major event?

Pius Paschke: I am very much looking forward to it. Last summer we attended a training camp there and I got to know the hill in the winter – it was a lot of fun. I’m excited about the hill and the atmosphere. I believe some of the competitions are already sold out. We’ll see how it goes on the day.

Sportschau: What does a hill need for you to enjoy your jump?

Pius Paschke: It’s hard to explain. Generally, I enjoy a hill when I can really get into the flight. On the Trondheim hill, especially during the summer session, I managed to really take off and fly. It is a modern hill with a cool profile; the flight curve is a bit flatter and admittedly a little sensitive to the wind—typical for these new constructions. Usually, I prefer older hills, but this one is a new design that I find quite appealing.

Sportschau: What are your goals for the competitions? Do you head into the event with any doubts after recent results?

Pius Paschke: We aren’t considered the top favorites, that’s clear. But honestly, if you start doubting, you’ve already lost before arriving. In a World Championship it really doesn’t matter if you finish fourth, eighth or 23rd – what counts in the end is winning a medal. So, even if you’re not the obvious medal favorite, you can still jump freely without overthinking it.

In the Flow at the Start of the Winter

Sportschau: You started the season very strong – celebrating wins and even leading the overall World Cup. Did you feel in the autumn that you were about to make a breakthrough?

Pius Paschke: I’d say that in the autumn I recognized I was producing many high-level jumps. I worked hard on the areas I wanted to improve and, to be honest, I hadn’t expected that this level would carry me so successfully into the winter. Of course, you never know what others might do – last winter I had a good start as well and even finished second in Ruka, but then Stefan Kraft soared to an outstanding performance. At the start of this winter, I was definitely in a flow and knew exactly what to do, which helped me deliver strong competitive jumps.

Sportschau: On which levers did you work? Did your family help you a great deal? How about your mental coach?

Pius Paschke: In my younger years, sports were omnipresent in my life. Now that I have children, my focus naturally shifts at home and it was sometimes hard to switch off. That balance provided by my family now makes it easier. I have been working with my sports psychologist for ten years—with the same person—which has been a continuous process. Over the years, I’ve learned to focus better.

Sportschau: Was the sudden media hype a challenge for you?

Pius Paschke: It was unfamiliar at first, but manageable. When things were going well, it was easy to accept the attention. My main focus was always on the important aspects of my performance. However, when things get tougher, dealing with the media becomes yet another challenge. Previously, I mostly jumped quietly, so the added attention now is an extra factor.

Sportschau: What surprised you more: your strong start or the subsequent difficulties in maintaining that level?

Pius Paschke: A bit of both. I hadn’t expected to start the season as strongly as I did. I didn’t feel the tour was poor at all. However, after the initial flow, I found it harder to maintain that level – especially when the Austrians were performing exceptionally and every jump of theirs was at the top level. I honestly thought I had things under control and was surprised when my performance dipped in January. The longer the winter stretches out, the more tiring it becomes, and I’m still figuring out how to sustain peak form for four months.

Sportschau: Do you have a concrete plan to climb out of this slump?

Pius Paschke: It’s all about constant work. It is both exhausting and challenging to climb back up. My main challenge is to regain the focus I had at the beginning of the winter. Technically, I’ve been struggling with my take-off tuck recently, which has led to small issues becoming bigger. I realized that my focus had shifted away from what was crucial.

Sportschau: You mentioned that the team needs to come together. How do you see that?

Pius Paschke: Absolutely. We as a team need to sit together and analyze why things didn’t work out over the season. There are still things missing in our team that we need to address to carry us through the winter. Every athlete, myself included, has to honestly assess what can be improved before we can have a constructive discussion.

The complete interview, covering topics from excessive emotionality to unconventional training methods, can be heard in the full Sportschau Wintersport Podcast episode.