Predazzo, Italy – Kacper Tomasiak’s stunning silver medal in ski jumping at the Olympic competition has reverberated through Polish sport, prompting reflection and a degree of self-assessment from veteran figure Adam Małysz. The success, followed by a bronze medal on Predazzo’s large hill on , has sparked conversation about the present and future of Polish ski jumping, and even the position of current Polish Ski Association (PZN) president Małysz himself.
The question of whether Tomasiak’s performance was a bid to secure his position was put to Małysz by reporters immediately after the bronze medal win. Małysz, with a characteristic wry smile, deflected, turning the question back on himself. “My situation is easier, because I myself have to even want to run in the elections [for PZN president],” he responded, according to reports. He then addressed the role of head coach Maciej Maciusiak, stating, “The coach? He is judged by the results, so you answer that yourselves. I think the skeptics who were somewhere around before now probably have something to think about.”
Małysz was particularly forceful in defending Maciusiak against criticism suggesting he wasn’t fully involved in Tomasiak’s training. “In defiance of the debate taking place in Poland, that Maciek Maciusiak is not Kacper’s coach. That’s hurtful to everyone, frankly. Whoever came up with that should hide under the table now,” he stated. The sentiment underscores a clear desire to protect the coaching staff and acknowledge their contribution to Tomasiak’s success.
Anticipating Success Even Before the Competition
Małysz admitted he felt a sense of relief with Tomasiak’s medal. While the silver and bronze won’t erase a generally underwhelming season for the Polish team prior to the Olympics, the primary focus was always peaking for the Games. “I had the privilege of being in the stands and seeing with my own eyes a moment that will go down in the history of Polish winter sports,” Małysz wrote in a social media post following the initial silver medal win, as reported by Przegląd Sportowy.
Even before the competition began, Małysz expressed confidence in Tomasiak. He recounted a conversation with Maciusiak, noting Tomasiak’s struggles with finding the correct take-off point. “Kacper couldn’t ‘jump’ and kept saying he couldn’t hit the edge,” Małysz explained. “But it was the same on the normal hill. I was watching the [500m men’s] speed skating [where Damian Żurek finished fourth] and was walking towards the ski jump as the trial series ended. I looked at the results and Kacper was in third place. I said, ‘It’s good, he’ll definitely fight.’ It’s just amazing.” He noted the emotional impact of the success, comparing it to the peak moments of Kamil Stoch’s career.
Trusting the Process and Recognizing Mental Fortitude
Małysz emphasized Tomasiak’s mental strength as a key factor in his performance. “He’s primarily strong mentally. Because you can’t train that,” he said. “If you have that within you, it constantly drives you. And I think the medal on the normal hill gave him even more drive. He knew what he was capable of. With that strong head, he just needed to start hitting the edge. And when he hit it, he took off and did his job. I don’t think anyone expected that he would actually win a medal on both the normal and large hills.”
He acknowledged that many within the sport – journalists, officials, and administrators – had doubted Maciusiak’s strategy heading into the Games. “Many journalists, officials and functionaries did not believe it when Maciek said we were going for a medal. Frankly, I’ve worked with Maciek many times and I know that if he sets certain things in his mind, he will do everything to achieve them. I’ve also been at training sessions, even here before these jumps on the normal and large hills. I saw what kind of training they were doing, what kind of excitement and so on. So it showed that everything was going in the right direction. Sometimes you just have to trust, simply give someone a chance to prove themselves.”
A New Perspective: Watching from the Stands
Unusually, Małysz did not have official accreditation for the Games, choosing instead to relinquish it to members of the ski jumping team’s support staff. He attended the competitions as a spectator, alongside his wife, Iza. “It doesn’t really matter if you stand at the top, or somewhere near the changing rooms, or stand with the fans. It doesn’t make any difference. The biggest inconvenience is then when you want to get somewhere and congratulate them. But luckily, in Italy, there isn’t such order as, for example, in Korea or Planica, where you can’t get through, there is security. Here you could just knock down a fence and get here. And no one really paid attention to it, so it was definitely much easier in that respect,” he explained, detailing how he managed to join the team in the athlete zone to celebrate.
The experience was a novel one for Małysz, allowing him to view the competition from a different angle. “I definitely don’t regret giving up the accreditation, because those who were actually responsible for the boys were much more important than the president who came to cheer. We thought we’d just buy tickets and come. We’d experience it differently, especially since my wife had always dreamed of coming to the Olympics. I could take her and not worry about anyone pointing it out or blaming me. And right away we have two medals. I said I have to take her with me every time now,” he joked.
Looking Ahead to the Team Event
With two individual medals secured, Poland now turns its attention to the team event. When asked about Poland’s chances in the team competition, Małysz was characteristically cautious. “I don’t want to jinx it,” he said, though a smile betrayed his optimism. The competition is expected to be fierce, with Japan, Austria, Norway, Poland, and Germany all considered strong contenders. The possibility of Slovenia joining the fray depends on finding consistency from a second jumper to complement Domen Prevc, the Olympic champion on the large hill.
The team event is scheduled for , with a trial round an hour prior. Live coverage will be available on Sport.pl and the Sport.pl LIVE app.
