Huge consequences of Poland’s Ruka disaster — Olympic quota at risk

Poland’s men’s ski jumping team endured a poor World Cup competition in Ruka, where only 18‑year‑old Kacper Tomasiak scored points, finishing 18th. The rest of the team failed to reach the points, increasing pressure on new head coach Maciej Maciusiak. Polish Ski Association president Adam Małysz openly criticized the performance.

Beyond the World Cup standings, the setback carries major implications for the Olympic ranking that will determine how many Polish jumpers can start at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The Olympic list aggregates results from July 1, 2024 to January 18, 2026, counting summer Grand Prix and World Cup results through mid‑January.

Following the Ruka update, Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig leads the Olympic ranking with 2,515 points. Paweł Wąsek is currently the top Pole in 13th with 978 points and is virtually safe for the Games. However, Dawid Kubacki (22nd, 626 pts) and Kamil Stoch (24th, 564 pts) sit only just inside the crucial top‑25 cutoff, while Aleksander Zniszczoł has slipped to 27th after failing to score in recent events (including a 31st place in Ruka).

Given Ruka’s often windy, lottery‑like conditions, the article suggests Kubacki and Stoch may soon return to scoring, but Zniszczoł urgently needs points to help Poland secure a fourth Olympic berth. While Tomasiak is in the best current form among Poles, he ranks only 60th on the Olympic list due to earlier results. Under the selection rules, the head coach may choose one athlete outside the ranking spots, with the remaining two or three Polish Olympians qualifying directly via the top‑25 Olympic list. That could set up a selection dilemma if Tomasiak’s form continues and he is to replace the lowest‑ranked Pole inside the top 25 — currently Stoch.

The clock is ticking toward the January 18, 2026 cutoff, and Poland’s depth and consistency over the coming World Cup weeks will determine whether they travel to the Olympics with three or four male jumpers.