The Polish ski jumping team recorded one of its worst performances in recent years during the qualifiers for Saturday's ski flying competition on the mammoth Kulm hill in Bad Mitterndorf. Only two Polish representatives, Piotr Żyła and Aleksander Zniszczoł, managed to qualify. Paweł Wąsek and other national team members were eliminated from the competition, which the media described as a "hard landing" following the recently concluded Olympic Games.

Qualification Debacle

Only two Polish ski jumpers managed to qualify for the main competition on the mammoth hill in Austria.

Wave of Star Disqualifications

Norwegian jumpers were excluded from the competition due to non-compliant suits, which changed the balance of power.

Post-Olympic Crisis

Experts indicate that the result from Kulm is the worst performance by the Polish national team in over a decade.

The weekend of ski flying in Austrian Bad Mitterndorf began dramatically for the Polish team. The results of Friday's qualifiers on the Kulm hill exposed a deep crisis in form affecting Thomas Thurnbichler's charges immediately after their return from the Olympic Games. Only two Poles qualified for Saturday's competition, a result not seen in Polish jumping for 11 years. Team honor was saved by Piotr Żyła, though he admitted his jump wasn't ideal because he "wanted to jump too far." Alongside him, only Aleksander Zniszczoł will be seen in the competition. The biggest disappointment was Paweł Wąsek, who did not hide his frustration with his performance. The jumper admitted that just a week ago he was jumping with joy, but now he struggles with a lack of stability and repeated falls. Sports media emphasize that such poor form of the White and Reds is a painful truth about the state of the Polish team's backup. Among others, Zbigniew Boniek spoke critically about the technical preparation, pointing out mistakes made in the pre-season training cycle. The only bright spot in the context of the future is the successes of young Kacper Tomasiak, who dominates rivals in lower-tier competitions, offering hope for a generational change. The Kulm hill in Bad Mitterndorf, opened in 1950, is one of the five largest ski flying hills in the world. Poland has achieved historic successes here, including Adam Małysz's World Championship medal in 1996. The qualifiers were also marked by rigorous equipment checks, which led to the disqualification of several top athletes, including Norwegian representatives. The reason for exclusion was non-compliance in suit dimensions, exceeding permissible norms by just three millimeters. This situation caused considerable stir in the jumping community, affecting the final shape of Saturday's starting list. Fans in Poland also had to contend with technical problems, as a failure prevented some viewers from following the live broadcast on sports channels. „Chciałem za daleko skoczyć w tych kwalifikacjach i przedobrzyłem.” (I wanted to jump too far in these qualifiers and I overdid it.) — Piotr Żyła

Mentioned People

  • Piotr Żyła — Polish ski jumper, one of the two who qualified for Saturday's competition.
  • Paweł Wąsek — Polish ski jumper who was eliminated in the qualifiers and expressed great frustration with his form.
  • Kacper Tomasiak — Young Polish talent who is achieving success in junior competitions.
  • Kamil Stoch — Legendary Polish ski jumper, whose farewell season is to be the subject of a documentary.