The Austrian Thomas Thurnbichler has to go into the service of the Polish ski jumper after three years, successor will be the previous assistant.
Poland’s ski jumper and head coach Thomas Thurnbichler go separate paths after the season.
On the sidelines of the season finale in Planica, the Polish association president Adam Malysz announced that he ended the cooperation with the Austrian. Thrunbichler’s successor will be the previous assistant Maciej Maciusiak, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Friday.
Thurnbichler (35) had become the successor to the Czech Michal Dolezal in 2022, who then switched to the German Ski Association as assistant coach of national coach Stefan Horngacher. Horngacher himself was a chief coach from 2016 to 2019, under him Kamil Stoch won the four -hill tour twice. Stoch is now working with Dolezal again.
Ski jumping: Top stars around Stoch come in the years
Under Thurnbichler, the Poles had recently not been able to build on the most successful years between 2016 and 2021, the top stars Stoch, Dawid Kubacki and Piotr Zyla – 2023 still world champion – have agreed. Thurnbichler had recently led younger jumpers like Pawel Wasek to the extended top.
Between Thurnbichler and the stars, but also Malysz, there are said to have been atmospheric disorders. Most recently, sports director Alexander Stöckl, also Austrian, had said goodbye to Poland’s icon Malysz after a struggle.