Apoloniusz Tajner returns as Polish Ski Federation president after Adam Małysz's one-term exit
Apoloniusz Tajner, 72, is once again president of the Polish Ski Federation, winning 75 of 81 delegate votes at the Kraków assembly. He replaces Adam Małysz, who chose not to seek reelection after a single four-year term marked by health strain and board friction.
A one-man race with broad backing
Apoloniusz Tajner, 72, was the only candidate on the ballot at the Polish Ski Federation's general assembly in Kraków on June 13. He secured 75 of the 81 delegate votes, one voter abstained. Tajner returns to the post he held from 2006 to 2022, replacing Adam Małysz, the former world champion ski jumper who served a single four-year term.
I am indeed the only candidate, and I don't think that will change. Plans? We'll see once I take office. I need to get to know the situation well, to know what to continue and what needs improvement.
Małysz bows out citing health and board tensions
Adam Małysz leaves after what he described as a draining stint. He told reporters he collided with a bureaucratic machine and felt the board did not share his direction. "I felt that the board didn't want to go in the same direction as me. That eroded trust," he said. The former ski jumper also pointed to health effects from constant pressure and a lack of time for family. He flagged unresolved challenges in alpine skiing and Nordic combined, where he said he could not unite the environment.
The final decision not to run came after the board postponed hiring a key coach, Stefan Horngacher, in April. That delay, coupled with earlier friction, prompted Małysz to step aside. In search of a successor with comparable star power, the association turned to Tajner, who then had to verify that his parliamentary mandate allowed him to lead the federation (it does, on an unpaid basis).
He broke off contact with me. He is the only one of my former coaches to do that. I wonder why there's been such a change.
Małysz added that he congratulated Tajner on the election but remains puzzled by what he perceives as a rift.
A solid financial handover
Małysz emphasized that the federation is in better financial shape than when he took over. He pointed to the prolongation of the sponsorship deal with PKN Orlen, worth 22 million zł per year for the next four years. Delegates almost unanimously accepted his management report and granted discharge for his entire term; Tajner abstained.
New board and international ambitions
Alongside the presidential vote, delegates elected a new board for the 2026–2030 term: Mirosław Graf (Dolnośląski Ski Association), Wojciech Gumny (Tatra Ski Association), Jarosław Konior (Śląsko-Beskidzki Association), and members Rafał Kot, Marek Pach, and Zbigniew Wuwer. Vice-president Gumny noted that the new FIS president, Alexander Ospelt, is a close colleague, and he expects Poland's influence within the international federation to grow.
- Adam Małysz elected PZN president, succeeding Apoloniusz Tajner.
- Małysz announces he will not seek reelection; Tajner approached to return.
- Tajner elected president with 75 of 81 delegate votes.
Tajner, who also serves as an MP for the Civic Coalition, will hold the post on a pro bono basis while keeping his parliamentary mandate until the end of the term. He has said he will not run for re-election to parliament. At the assembly, Małysz's farewell drew applause, and he wished the new leadership well: "Sport is the most important."
