Polish Ski Jumpers Stripped of Illusions. The Problem is Much Bigger

The New Year's competition was a harsh reminder for Polish ski jumpers, as they managed to score only 17 points, equating to their worst performance this season. Previously, they had a similar disappointing start during the season opener in Lillehammer. While last year's events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen provided hope, the current outcome raises doubts.

Coach Thomas Thurnbichler mentioned that the coaching staff would utilize their free day for discussions, not only among themselves but also with the athletes. However, whether the team still possesses the ability to converse constructively remains uncertain, which the coach acknowledges.

Previously, the Polish jumpers seemed to progress from weekend to weekend, despite challenges with consistency and stability. Yet now, apart from Paweł Wąsek, the squad struggles to find reasons for satisfaction, and there are no clear prospects for improvement in sight.

Aleksander Zniszczoł's sentiments echoed among his teammates as he spoke about the need for more focused efforts rather than excessive adjustments to their jumping strategies. This sentiment aligns with Jakub Wolny's performance, who despite the shouting performance at the qualifiers received a disappointing outcome in the team competition.

The overall hesitation concerning the effectiveness of the coaching methods led some team members to question their collaboration with Thurnbichler. Dawid Kubacki expressed deep disappointment over the team's current trajectory, attributing their lack of recent success to their strategic adjustments in preparation for the competitions—a factor of concern for their future performance.

As they prepared for further discussions, the future seemed uncertain for Polish ski jumping as they struggled to maintain effective communication and cohesion in the team.