Best result of the season for Paweł Wąsek in Klingenthal: “I’m trying not to get overexcited”

Paweł Wąsek enjoyed his best performance of the season with 21st place in Sunday’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition in Klingenthal. Jumps of 132 m and 127 m at Vogtland Arena nearly doubled his overall World Cup points for the current campaign, taking him from 13 to 23 points.

Speaking after the event, Wąsek stressed he was keeping emotions in check: “I’m trying not to get overexcited. We had a new idea for the jumps after yesterday’s very poor contest (39th place), and it worked. Now I want to stabilize everything and build from here.”

He acknowledged that the form still isn’t at the level that impressed Polish fans last season, but he was encouraged that overnight adjustments produced an immediate effect. “The goal is to get rolling. I started from a low level this season, but hopefully it will only get better now,” he said.

Wąsek reflected on the strong 2024/25 season, when he reached the podium in Lahti and posted six top‑10 finishes, which raised expectations for 2025/26 among supporters and himself. He admitted that recent underperformances have been frustrating: “We analyze the jumps with the coaches, try to find the mistakes and why they happen, and come up with ways to eliminate them so that next time it works.”

He also noted recurring errors and the resulting criticism from fans: “At the moment many things are limping. Mistakes keep repeating; it’s not something different every time. If something isn’t functioning, it tends to last for a while.” Despite that, Wąsek remains optimistic that consistency will come as the season progresses.