Kamil Stoch movingly talks about his successor. These words catch you by the throat
One is leaving the stage, the other has just entered it. Kamil Stoch had his sixth Winter Winter Olympics in his career and assessed what the debutant Kacper Tomasiak had achieved.
There is no doubt that in the 21st century, there have been symbolic but important generational changes in ski jumping in Poland. Symbolic in that they happened naturally. And important because of the continuation that continues, as shown by the competition during the ongoing games in Italy.
WINTER 2026: Kamil Stoch in special words about Kacper Tomasiak
Although it seemed that the three-time Olympic champion could join the fight for high goals during the large hill competition in Predazzo, ultimately Stoch was unable to achieve his best times.
A jumper who ends his career after the 2025/26 season in 21st place. Unlike the competition on the normal hill, Stoch managed to get to the final series. The legend of world ski jumping spoke after his performance, particularly appreciating what his teammate Kacper Tomasiak had done again.
– Kacper writes a beautiful story, he doesn’t step into someone else’s shoes, he puts on his own, brand new, fresh ones. He has, God grant him, many years of his career ahead of him (…) I hope that he will enjoy results like mine and Adam’s and will be much better than all of us put together – he said after Saturday’s competition on the large hill.
Stoch won four medals at the Olympics – three gold (two in 2014 and one in 2018) and one bronze (2018). Adam Małysz can boast of the same achievements, although with different disc colors. Currently, the president of the Polish Ski Association has won four medals, but also three silver ones (one in 2002 and two in 2010) and one bronze (2002).
The mentioned Tomasiak already has two achievements, and he is only 19 years old. It seems that a great career is just beginning for this boy. Which is certainly an important, positive signal for Polish ski jumping.
2026 Games in Italy. Where and when to watch the Poles’ starts?
The Polish national team during the opening games consists of 60 athletes. In the 21st century, there has never been a time when a Polish woman or a Pole was not on the Olympic podium during the Winter Olympics. During the last winter games, Poland finished the competition with one medal. The bronze medal was won by ski jumper Dawid Kubacki in the normal hill competition.
It is already known that Kubacki’s result was beaten at the Winter Olympics 2026 by a debutant among Olympians – Kacper Tomasiak. The 19-year-old great talent won a silver medal in the normal hill competition and a bronze medal in the large hill competition in Predazzo.
Another Olympic runner-up, Vladimir Semirunni, who made his debut at the Winter Olympics, was also runner-up in the 10 km speed skating race.
In the history of the Olympic Games, the Polish national team has won a total of 26 medals – seven gold, nine silver and ten bronze, respectively. Interestingly, the first bronze medal for Poland was won by Franciszek Gąsienica-Groń (Nordic combined) almost exactly 70 years ago, during the Olympic Games in… Cortina d’Ampezzo. This year, history has come full circle in a beautiful Italian-Polish Olympic circle.
Broadcasts from Winter Olympics 2026 in Poland are provided by Telewizja Polska (TVP) and the Discovery group (Eurosport). The event will last until Sunday, February 22.
