Around the World
„I’m glad I'm getting stronger every year!“
20-year-old Tomas Portyk has had a year of ups and downs in 2015/16. TUESDAY TALK caught up with one of the reigning Junior World Champions from Rasnov 2016 and touched base on the Youth Olympic Games, challenges and successes on the World Cup tour and future goals.
Four years ago, you won your first big international title at the Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. This year, the second edition of the Games took place in Lillehammer. Did you follow the competitions?
Tomas Portyk: Yes, I watched the big event because we had a Czech boy on start again who had the same goal as me. I'm so glad Ondra (Ondrej Pazout) won a medal, too. It will certainly give him great motivation for the years to come.
You yourself followed up with another international title, the one of Junior World Champion in Rasnov, Romania. Was it your big goal for this season to finally take that gold medal?
Portyk: I had one goal in this season and that was to get a medal at the Junior World Championships. After I crashed on the jumping hill in the first event, I thought that the Junior World Championships are just not for me because every year something happened that prevented me from getting that medal! But I’m very satisfied with how the second event turned out. The gold medal is great motivation for future years and a dream come true. I have to thank all the people around me for the great support!
With your teammate Miroslav Dvorak being sidelined with mononucleosis for some parts of the winter, it was up to you to deliver the top results for the Czech team for a while. Did you feel added pressure from this?
Portyk: Yes. For me was this period was a very bad time because I had to be alone. I am good friends with Mirek and so is important to have him there so that we can help each other. Everything is easier and better when he’s there. I was very happy when he finally returned.
In the overall World Cup, you ended up on a Top 30 rank for the first time and with a tenth position in Ramsau also set your first Top Ten rank in an individual race. Would you say you reached all your personal goals this winter?
Portyk: Of course I'm very satisfied. To be in the Top Ten in a World Cup event was another little dream come true. But now I have more goals, I want even better results. I'm glad I'm getting stronger every year.
We’re going into a winter with World Championships in Lahti. Have you already picked some new goals for you to work towards?
Portyk: Yes, I have more dreams, especially concerning Lahti 2017. (smiles) But this will be a very difficult event for me. I clearly have to work more on my cross-country skiing because that is my weakness.
What have you been up to since the season ended?
Portyk: I played a lot of football and actually I had to go to school. After that, I go for some holidays.
Source: fis-ski.com
Four years ago, you won your first big international title at the Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. This year, the second edition of the Games took place in Lillehammer. Did you follow the competitions?
Tomas Portyk: Yes, I watched the big event because we had a Czech boy on start again who had the same goal as me. I'm so glad Ondra (Ondrej Pazout) won a medal, too. It will certainly give him great motivation for the years to come.
You yourself followed up with another international title, the one of Junior World Champion in Rasnov, Romania. Was it your big goal for this season to finally take that gold medal?
Portyk: I had one goal in this season and that was to get a medal at the Junior World Championships. After I crashed on the jumping hill in the first event, I thought that the Junior World Championships are just not for me because every year something happened that prevented me from getting that medal! But I’m very satisfied with how the second event turned out. The gold medal is great motivation for future years and a dream come true. I have to thank all the people around me for the great support!
With your teammate Miroslav Dvorak being sidelined with mononucleosis for some parts of the winter, it was up to you to deliver the top results for the Czech team for a while. Did you feel added pressure from this?
Portyk: Yes. For me was this period was a very bad time because I had to be alone. I am good friends with Mirek and so is important to have him there so that we can help each other. Everything is easier and better when he’s there. I was very happy when he finally returned.
In the overall World Cup, you ended up on a Top 30 rank for the first time and with a tenth position in Ramsau also set your first Top Ten rank in an individual race. Would you say you reached all your personal goals this winter?
Portyk: Of course I'm very satisfied. To be in the Top Ten in a World Cup event was another little dream come true. But now I have more goals, I want even better results. I'm glad I'm getting stronger every year.
We’re going into a winter with World Championships in Lahti. Have you already picked some new goals for you to work towards?
Portyk: Yes, I have more dreams, especially concerning Lahti 2017. (smiles) But this will be a very difficult event for me. I clearly have to work more on my cross-country skiing because that is my weakness.
What have you been up to since the season ended?
Portyk: I played a lot of football and actually I had to go to school. After that, I go for some holidays.
Source: fis-ski.com
