The Slovenian jumper did not expect such a reaction. Moving scenes in Zakopane
Anze Lanisek was honored in a moving way in Zakopane. The fans chanted his name as a thank you for the extraordinary gesture towards Dawid Kubacki.
Dawid Kubacki missed the end of the 2022/2023 season. His wife Marta was hospitalized with serious cardiac problems and fought for survival for a long time. When the jumper learned about his wife’s situation, he left the World Cup competition regardless of the results. He did not return to the start, which meant he fell off the podium in the general classification.
Poles honored Anze Laniska for her gesture towards Kubacki
At the last moment, Anze Lanisek overtook him in the rankings. During the award ceremony in Planica, the jumper brought a cardboard model of Dawid Kubacki to the podium. “David should be on the podium,” the 27-year-old said after the incident. This gesture touched the hearts of the fans. There was no one who would not congratulate the player. What’s more, he received a fair play award in his home country.
Now it’s time for a reward from the Poles. On Saturday, after the jump in the trial series before the team competition, the announcers called Lanisko to the middle of the hill. When he saw men dressed in unusual sheepskin coats, he might have been surprised. After a while, several dozen thousand fans, encouraged by the hosts of the event, started chanting “Anze, Anze, hvala ti”, which means “Anze, Anze, thank you.”
Lanisek felt moved by the whole situation. The Planica incident made him develop a close relationship with Kubacki. They often talk to each other during World Cup competitions. The Polish ski jumper and his wife Marta, like all the fans, were touched by his rival’s gesture. A player from Thurnbichler’s team even recorded a video of thanks when Lanisek received the previously mentioned award from the Slovenian Association of Sports Journalists.
Lanisek and Kubacki are fighting in the World Cup
In the general classification of the 2023/2024 World Cup, Anze Lanisek is in seventh place. Dawid Kubacki is 26th.