Big change for Maciej Kot: his best World Cup result in over seven years

Reporting from Wisła

Maciej Kot reflected on a breakthrough weekend at the Ski Jumping World Cup in Wisła. After placing a frustrating 31st on Saturday and missing the second round, he bounced back on Sunday to finish 14th—his best World Cup result since March 2018.

Kot said the key was not overanalyzing or making big changes after Saturday. Instead, he and staff, including coach Daniel Krokosz, focused on trusting his feel and a pre‑defined plan: “It wasn’t about trying new things or tinkering. We had a clear plan that worked before; we just needed to find a nuance in feeling and rely on that. Despite mistakes, I jumped with 100% conviction, and that let me fight with the best.”

The result earned Kot a spot for the next World Cup stop in Klingenthal. He emphasized that the priority is to stabilize jumps at Sunday’s level across training, qualification, and competitions. If he can consistently score around the top 15, he believes he can springboard toward top‑10 and even top‑6 finishes.

Kot also addressed his long‑term goal: making the 2026 Olympic team, acknowledging the challenge with Poland currently holding only three male quota places. “Athletes who can fight for medals should go to the Olympics,” he said, adding that he needs to keep sending a clear signal with results rather than getting ahead of himself.

He pointed to teammate Kacper Tomasiak as an example of stability during the Wisła weekend—regularly near the top 10 and, on a good day, just shy of the podium.

With renewed confidence and a concrete plan, Kot looks ahead to Klingenthal seeking to consolidate his form and build on his strongest World Cup finish in over seven years.