Polish Ski Jumpers at Risk: Bad News from Ruka

Polish ski jumpers are facing potential disruptions as organizers struggle with unfavorable wind conditions in Ruka, which are imminent threats to Friday's training and qualification rounds. Adam Bucholz from Skijumping reported that the Nordic Combined competition has already been canceled due to these winds. Current forecasts indicate gusts that could impede Friday's events, specifically predicting wind speeds of 5-6 m/s, with gusts reaching up to 11 m/s. The training has already been postponed multiple times, creating uncertainty for the athletes.

The situation in Ruka has historically been characterized by strong winds, affecting the sporting events there, often leading to cancellations in the past. It seems likely that in the worst-case scenario, qualifications will be moved to Saturday, preceding the scheduled individual competition at 17:00. Such changes can disrupt the competitors' preparation, considering another individual competition is set for Sunday, which also precedes qualifications.

Following the first weekend in Lillehammer, Germany's Pius Paschke emerges unexpectedly as the overall leader in the World Cup standings, while the next four spots are occupied by Austrians: Jan Hoerl, Daniel Tschofenig, Stefan Kraft, and Maximilian Ortner. Unfortunately, Polish competitors find themselves in lower ranks, with Paweł Wąsek in 17th, Aleksander Zniszczoł in 23rd, Dawid Kubacki in 30th, and Kamil Stoch in 31st. There is hope that a change in the weather will permit the jumpers to demonstrate their capabilities better than during the competitions in Norway.