Poland’s coach promised progress — explains Ruka disaster after only Tomasiak scores points

Polish head coach Maciej Maciusiak entered the Ruka World Cup weekend believing his team was ready to turn a corner after weak outings in Lillehammer and Falun. In an interview before traveling to Finland, he said jumps looked “decent,” tension in the squad was high because the athletes cared, and that a couple of extra meters could make a big difference at this level.

Saturday brought a starkly different outcome. Only 18‑year‑old Kacper Tomasiak advanced to the second round, finishing 18th and rescuing Poland from a complete shutout. Dawid Kubacki and Piotr Żyła were eliminated in qualification, while Aleksander Zniszczoł, Paweł Wąsek and Kamil Stoch finished in the 40s.

Maciusiak lamented Kubacki’s missed qualification and noted Żyła’s late takeoff and hitting a “dead zone” around 60–70 meters that ruined the jump. He added that Kubacki actually got a strong takeoff at the table, which made the non‑qualification particularly frustrating.

Speaking to TVP Sport, the coach admitted the competition was poor from his squad but stressed there is no panic: the team is staying calm and united. He plans individual talks with athletes and a task‑focused approach for Sunday’s competition, aiming to add composure and small improvements rather than wholesale changes.