Aleksander Stoeckel confirms that he is in talks with PZN in 2022. – Poland has chosen a very good coach – says WP SportoweFakty about Thomas Turnbichler. He talks about the problems of the Norwegians, how they got out of the crisis, and whether there is hope for the Poles.
Arkadiusz Dudziak
Newspix/EXPA/Pictured: Alexander Stoeckel
Arkadiusz Dudziak, WP SportoweFakty: There was information in the Polish media that you are in talks in 2022 to become a coach of Polish jumpers. How much truth is there in this?
Alexander Stoeckel, coach of the Norwegian national ski jumping team: Maybe there is some truth to this. However, this is old stuff.
Did Adam Males call you? How did that happen?
I don't want to talk about the details, because it has already happened and is over. Poland chose a very good coach, Thomas Turnbichler. Give it time. He is a young man with great ambitions. He needs a moment to put the team together so that it works the way he wants. You will see the results of this in the future.
How progress are the talks with the Polish Federation?
I don't want to comment on this.
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The Norwegian national team had a similarly difficult start to the season as Poland. What are your problems?
True, we suffered a difficult loss. In retrospect, it seems that the decision to prepare in Lillehammer was not a good one. The conditions were great, we had a great week. However, the difference between this hill and the facility in Ruka is very large. In Finland, we didn't have enough jumps, and the conditions were changing on the first day.
The players were more nervous after that. We saw that we and the Poles had a lot of problems with the suits. It seems that the Austrians and Germans found excellent solutions to adapt to the new rules. It took us a long time to be able to compete in this aspect, but we finally did.
However, despite returning to your level, the Poles are still having a difficult time. In eight competitions, none of our jumpers placed in the top ten. Where could these problems come from?
I mainly focus on my team, but in my opinion the reasons were similar to those in my team. There were technical issues with specific players. It seems to me that the Poles are progressing, and at least in individual jumps, they are showing a good level. I'm sure they will be back on top soon.
So this season is not lost for us?
of course not. Your jumpers have a lot of experience. The Polish team is a little older, they have been fighting this for many years. They have extensive experience and will overcome their problems. I'm sure of that.
What exactly is the handling of allowances? Did the Germans and Austrians have an unfair advantage?
I wouldn't say it was unfair. If this happens, they will be disqualified. The Germans and Austrians were also examined by Christian Kathol. They were smart enough to find better solutions.
Your players were looking better and better from week to week. How did you get into shape?
We worked on the technical side, especially with Marius Lindvik and Havlór Aigner Granerud. The former showed excellent jumps on Saturday in Engelberg. Our suits have also improved and this combination has allowed us to take a step forward.
At the beginning of the season, most of our team – four or five athletes – were next to each other, in places 15-25. Later, the entire team moved towards the top ten. We have a very good process, and our equipment staff has worked hard to ensure competitive conditions.
Halvor Egner Granerud dominated last season, and now he can't reach the top ranks, and looks frustrated. What's his problem?
It's a combination of several factors. We could see already in the summer that his style was not very stable. He had problems with the approach position and the phase leading up to the breakout. This was the main problem in the beginning.
If you have high expectations after a great last season, it's not easy to stay calm and focused. You will be disappointed with every subsequent jump if you know that your potential is much greater. Last week, he had two training sessions in Trondheim, which should have helped him regain some stability.
Granerud said in an interview with WP (more here) that Johan Andre Forfang can make a big splash because he jumps brilliantly in training. However, he did not confirm this in the competition. What's his problem?
During competitions, he has more tension in his body. He is less relaxed, and it is not easy to focus on his work. However, this hard-working aspect has declined recently and Forfang will occupy higher and higher positions throughout the season. He has a lot of potential, he even won qualifying this year, but I know he has the potential to get on the podium. He needs to free himself and enjoy the fun of jumping.
After taking the podium in Engelberg, Marius Lindvik appears to be one of the favorites to fight for victory in the Four Hills Championship. How are the rest of your students?
We have three riders who have the potential to be on the podium: Granerud, Furfang and Lindvik. The most important thing is the start in Oberstdorf. Hopefully we will have one or two riders in front on Friday.
Aside from the Norwegians, who will be stronger?
Of course Stefan Kraft, Andreas Wellinger, Karl Geiger, Pius Paschke, Ryoyu Kobayashi, I hope one of my players is among them. Maybe it's one of the young Austrians like Daniel Chovenig or Jan Hoerl or one of your comrades. It will be a very interesting tournament.
Read more:
The Poles' disastrous leaps continued. Andreas Wellinger wins
TCS launched. The World Cup president appealed to the Poles
Support for Polish jumpers in Pilot WP (sponsored link) (sponsored link)
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