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Poland announces men’s ski jumping team for Olympics
Michal Dolezal, the coach of Poland's ski jumping team, on Sunday named their athletes for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Czech chose Kamil Stoch, Piotr Zyla, Dawid Kubacki, Pawel Wasek and Stefan Hula.
Dolezal made his decision just after Sunday's FIS World Cup in Zakopane, Poland.
The team will miss the next round in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, which will take place on January 22-23, as the Poles will prepare for Beijing Winter Olympics on home soil.
"We made a decision that we needed training. The five competitors who go to the Olympics will stay in Zakopane, where we will have a camp. We have to train calmly to stabilize the jumps. If the weather plays a trick on us, we will react immediately. There are now many training hills in Europe," Dolezal explained to local media on Sunday night.
The performance of the three-time Olympic champion Kamil Stoch at the Winter Olympics is still in question as the 34-year-old caught a serious ankle injury on Wednesday.
"Kamil's leg looks better and better every day," Dolezal said.
"He already has almost 100 percent mobility in the joint. However, he still feels pain in the utmost flexion. Kamil has gym training planned for Tuesday. These will be the activities he had at the beginning of spring ankle surgery. After that, we will assess the condition of the leg and make further decisions."
The Poles, who won the Olympic bronze in Peyongchang 2018 in the team's competition, didn't meet the expectations this season. However, Dolezal believes that his ski jumpers will prove their quality in Beijing.
"I guess it's always better to jump high right now, more than two weeks before the Olympics, but if you are still among the favorites before the games, everything is fine. Not everything goes right for us, but I believe that we will fight for a medal in Beijing," the Czech former ski jumper concluded.
The Czech chose Kamil Stoch, Piotr Zyla, Dawid Kubacki, Pawel Wasek and Stefan Hula.
Dolezal made his decision just after Sunday's FIS World Cup in Zakopane, Poland.
The team will miss the next round in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, which will take place on January 22-23, as the Poles will prepare for Beijing Winter Olympics on home soil.
"We made a decision that we needed training. The five competitors who go to the Olympics will stay in Zakopane, where we will have a camp. We have to train calmly to stabilize the jumps. If the weather plays a trick on us, we will react immediately. There are now many training hills in Europe," Dolezal explained to local media on Sunday night.
The performance of the three-time Olympic champion Kamil Stoch at the Winter Olympics is still in question as the 34-year-old caught a serious ankle injury on Wednesday.
"Kamil's leg looks better and better every day," Dolezal said.
"He already has almost 100 percent mobility in the joint. However, he still feels pain in the utmost flexion. Kamil has gym training planned for Tuesday. These will be the activities he had at the beginning of spring ankle surgery. After that, we will assess the condition of the leg and make further decisions."
The Poles, who won the Olympic bronze in Peyongchang 2018 in the team's competition, didn't meet the expectations this season. However, Dolezal believes that his ski jumpers will prove their quality in Beijing.
"I guess it's always better to jump high right now, more than two weeks before the Olympics, but if you are still among the favorites before the games, everything is fine. Not everything goes right for us, but I believe that we will fight for a medal in Beijing," the Czech former ski jumper concluded.
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