Kacper Tomasiak Makes History: Three Medals for Polish Ski Jumper at Single Olympics

Kacper Tomasiak, making his debut at the most important quadrennial event, dominated the competition on the hills in Predazzo. His medal march began on February 9 with an Olympic silver medal on the normal hill. This success was a huge surprise for many experts, as the athlete from the LKS Klimczok Bystra club had never previously stood on a World Cup podium. However, the following days confirmed his outstanding form; on the large hill, the Pole won a bronze medal, finishing only behind the Slovenian Domen Prevc and the Austrian Daniel Tschofenig. The culmination of the Polish performance was the Monday team event, which provided fans with immense excitement due to extreme weather conditions. A snowstorm broke out over the hill, forcing the judges to interrupt the competition after two rounds and recognize the results as final. The pair Kacper Tomasiak and Paweł Wąsek took second place, securing another silver medal for Poland. This success also has a financial dimension; it is estimated that for his achievements, the young jumper will receive awards from the Polish Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism with a total value exceeding 2 million złoty. In the history of Polish participation in the Winter Olympics, only Justyna Kowalczyk managed to win three medals during a single edition (Vancouver 2010). In ski jumping, the greatest champions, like Adam Małysz or Kamil Stoch, won a maximum of two medals at a single Games.3 — medals won by 19-year-old Kacper Tomasiak at the Games in ItalyThe national team coach, Maciej Maciusiak, emphasized in interviews the extraordinary mental resilience of his protégé. The coach admitted that Tomasiak had to cope with enormous pressure, especially when during the final competition he was sent down in very difficult conditions as a "guinea pig" for the jury. Meanwhile, in the shadow of the great Olympic success, talent was also revealed by Kacper's younger brother, Konrad Tomasiak, who at the same time won the Orlen Cup competition in Zakopane. Experts indicate that Polish ski jumping has gained a new, great hope for the years to come. „I am full of admiration for coach Maciej Maciusiak, who believed until the end. He said we were going for a medal, but he probably didn't expect three.” — Adam Małysz[{"pozycja": 2, "nazwa": "Normal hill", "info": "individual", "wynik": "Silver"}, {"pozycja": 3, "nazwa": "Large hill", "info": "individual", "wynik": "Bronze"}, {"pozycja": 2, "nazwa": "Team event", "info": "with Paweł Wąsek", "wynik": "Silver"}]