Adam Małysz reacts to Poles’ jumps in Engelberg and warns about Four Hills decisions

Adam Małysz, president of the Polish Ski Association (PZN), assessed the Polish team’s performance at the World Cup in Engelberg. The first round was disappointing, with Kacper Tomasiak, Piotr Żyła and Kamil Stoch in the 20s, and Dawid Kubacki and Maciej Kot out. The final brought a bit of relief as 18‑year‑old Tomasiak surged to 13th.

Małysz emphasized the competition was highly wind‑affected—top athletes like Ryoyu Kobayashi and Ren Nikaido also struggled to fly far—but insisted this does not excuse the quality of the Poles’ jumps. He explained Tomasiak’s first‑round error (getting rocked on one leg, blocking with the skis and losing speed), praised his strong second jump, and said the youngster’s power and hunger could sustain his current form for a while, though ups and downs are normal at his age.

Turning to Dawid Kubacki, Małysz stated that the form shown in Engelberg is not sufficient and suggested taking a "radical" step: considering a training block instead of racing, noting that the fourth Olympic quota spot is slipping away. He underlined that selection decisions rest with the coaching staff, who know the athletes best.

With the Four Hills Tournament approaching, Małysz sees Tomasiak as a lock and Żyła likely, while the remaining places (e.g., Stoch, Kot) are uncertain. He floated the idea of taking a young Continental Cup jumper but cautioned that TCS pressure can be heavy for a newcomer. He added that head coach Maciej Maciusiak will soon make key choices, balancing the risks of sending out‑of‑form athletes to an intense, four‑venue series against the need for athletes to reset and train.