Polish ski jumpers speak with one voice: why training in Oberstdorf went so badly

Correspondence from Oberstdorf

Polish ski jumpers endured a dismal official training day in Oberstdorf, posting results in the 20s to 60s across the two training rounds before showing improvement in qualifying for the Four Hills Tournament opener.

Results in training (two series) were 21st, 25th, 40th, 43rd, 61st and 28th, 31st, 35th, 42nd, 52nd for the Poles. Qualification brought a measure of relief: Kamil Stoch was best of the team in 14th, with Maciej Kot 19th, Piotr Żyła 22nd, Paweł Wąsek 32nd, and Kacper Tomasiak steady around 25th.

Piotr Żyła admitted his first two jumps were so poor he had to tell himself to “wake up,” blaming a post‑holiday disconnect between “head and legs.” He improved a bit in qualifying but said the feeling still wasn’t where he wants it.

Maciej Kot echoed that sentiment: the training jumps lacked energy, and the staff opted not to chase technical changes but to focus on greater activation and a simple, confident approach. Paweł Wąsek said the weak training dented confidence, yet he expected to need a few jumps to settle in and referenced Oberstdorf as a breakthrough venue for him last year.

The coaching staff under Maciej Maciusiak has often seen athletes start slowly on new hills and improve with subsequent attempts. If that pattern holds, the team believes a solid competition is possible, though this season has repeatedly seen brief upswings followed by dips. Monday’s competition in Oberstdorf (scheduled for 16:30) will show whether the qualifying uptick can carry into the event.