Adam Małysz on Poland’s Wisła World Cup: “Oh, Jesus!” — praise for Tomasiak, caution for Żyła, selection criteria for the Olympics

In a post‑competition interview from Wisła, Polish Ski Association (PZN) president Adam Małysz assessed the men’s World Cup weekend.

He said Sunday’s fifth place by Kacper Tomasiak and seventh by Piotr Żyła were clearly the best Polish results of the season, but argued that the team is capable of far more. Małysz singled out Tomasiak’s two strong jumps and Żyła’s first jump that put him second after round one, while noting Żyła still lacks stability.

Explaining Żyła’s second‑round miss, Małysz recalled coach Maciej Maciusiak telling the veteran he must attack, not jump “on half‑gas.” Żyła over‑committed, “went too far forward,” and Małysz’s instant reaction was: “Oh Jesus, that height is for a Prevc, not for him.” Even so, Małysz believes this performance will energize Żyła, proving he can fight for the top 10 and even podiums, not just scrape into the top 30.

Małysz also praised Maciej Kot’s 14th place as two good jumps, adding that Kot now needs to confirm in Klingenthal that this is a lasting change. By contrast, he admitted there is a problem with Kamil Stoch: despite looking strong in summer, Stoch appears mentally blocked—“pale on the inrun,” failing to qualify on Saturday, and technically fine on Sunday but without the necessary power in flight.

Looking ahead to the Olympics, Małysz insisted selection will be based on current strength, not just internal rankings or name recognition: “Those who are the strongest will go.” He acknowledged that, as of now, Tomasiak seems a lock because he has scored in every competition, but warned against “jinxing” it and said Tomasiak must keep doing his job. He listed Żyła, Stoch, Dawid Kubacki, and the resurgent Kot as in the mix, and mentioned that Paweł Wąsek leads the internal Olympic ranking. Małysz praised Wąsek’s stance that only the best‑prepared should be selected—even if it means he stays home—adding that experienced athletes should embrace the principle that the Olympic team is for those who can contend, not for those targeting 40th place.