Kamil Stoch broke the silence. “With a heavy heart, but I would do it.”

Kamil Stoch is a living legend of ski jumping. Looking at history, one can compare his successes only with the results achieved by… the current head of the Polish Ski Association, Adam Małysz.

Kamil Stoch spoke out after the disastrous World Cup competition in Engelberg

The experienced jumper is 37 years old and there are many indications that this is his last season in his professional career. Stoch doesn’t really have to prove anything to anyone anymore. However, the three-time Olympic champion certainly wants to successfully end his long career in which he has become accustomed to fighting for the highest goals.

What did Stoch say after his unsuccessful performance in Engelberg?

– If I had not been aware of the work done in the summer and autumn, as well as my potential, I would have resigned with a clear conscience. With a heavy heart, but I would do it. However, I took up the challenge and I believe in the success of this mission. I am constantly aware that it is all within me. The potential and the built base, it’s just about releasing it – he admitted in a long conversation with Dominik Formela from skijumping.pl.

It seems that the great champion has not yet actually shown what he can offer after a well-worked pre-season. Is the mental sphere a problem?

– Recently, unfortunately, my head has been filled with too much unnecessary stress. It was a loop of pointless competition. I stepped into something I really wanted to avoid this season. That’s not what I meant. I want to go to competitions with a smile, be there and leave them with joy after long jumps, doing it at a high level. I deeply believe that such a scenario is still possible. That’s why I will take up each new challenge willingly, but with the feeling of doing it for myself. For my own fun, because I like it and I want to be here – concluded Stoch.

73rd Four Hills Tournament. Where and when to watch the competition?

The most prestigious cycle of each season of the Ski Jumping World Cup will begin this Saturday, i.e. December 28. We are, of course, talking about the Four Hills Tournament. This will be the 73rd edition of this unique competition. The competition is traditionally held on four ski jumping hills: two in Germany (Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen) and two in Austria (Innsbruck and Bischofshofen).

In the history of this competition, Kamil Stoch won three times, the last time in the 2020/21 season. Dawid Kubacki, the winner of the 2019/20 season and the runner-up of the classification in the 2022/23 edition, also looks good on the TCS all-time list, behind the then great Noweg Halvor Egner Granerud.

The first competition of the 73rd TCS will be held in Oberstdorf. Official training (2:00 p.m.) and qualifying (4:30 p.m.) are planned for Saturday (i.e. December 28). A day later, a trial series (3:00 p.m.) and a competition (4:30 p.m.). The World Cup competition, including TCS, can be watched on TVN, Eurosport and the MAX platform.