Dangerous fall in Zakopane. The ski jumper’s painful return to the World Cup

Daniel Andre Tande returned to the World Cup in Zakopane after a short break. The Norwegian was absent during the competition in Wisła and the competition in Szczyrk. In Friday’s qualifying, he flew a distance of 137 meters. Unfortunately, he did not stop the jump and fell just as he was landing. He advanced to the competition, taking 45th place (due to poor marks from the judges for his constant attempts), but he left the landing zone limping. He most likely suffered a knee injury.

Tande was counting on a breakthrough in Zakopane

Daniel Andre Tande has been a top World Cup player for nearly 10 seasons. In the past, he was plagued by injuries, which were preceded by, for example, serious falls. We remember, for example, the end of the 2020/21 season, when he fell from a great height in Planica. As a result of the fall, he suffered a broken collarbone and a punctured lung. He was put into a medically induced coma, from which he woke up after a few days.

Not all ski jumpers would be able to return to competition after such experiences, and Tande even knocked on the top again. It seems that his form has fallen apart only recently. Looking at this season, the Norwegian has never entered the top ten in a World Cup competition, and has only been in the top twenty twice.

In Zakopane, he was probably counting on an improvement in his form, and his qualifying jump showed that this could happen. It’s a pity that the landing didn’t go as planned.

The last accents of the Polish Tournament

Let us remind you that the Polish Tournament is currently underway, ending in Zakopane. After Friday’s qualifications, in which Austrian Stefan Kraft was the best, there are only two stages left. On Saturday, there will be a team competition with the participation of as many as 13 teams. A day later, the competitors will face individual competition.