Sport News
„The new equipment testing procedures increase fairness!“
For the Czech team, the Summer Grand Prix 2015 was a series of ups and downs: Tomas Portyk delighted his coach with great performances which team leader Miroslav Dvorak had a difficult time. In this new TUESDAY TALK, Czech head coach Vladimir Smid draws a bottom line on his team’s performances and speaks about the first exepriences with the new equipment testing procedures in ski jumping.
Starting with a positive observation: the performance of team youngster Tomas Portyk was very satisfactory in the Summer Grand Prix, wasn’t it?
Vladimir Smid: I am really satisfied with him. Not only did he jump on a stable, high level on all hills and finished in the Top Ten, he also managed to basically stay with the best skiers in the race. It was a hard program with five difficult races in eight days. And although the technique of roller skiing is not entirely comparable to cross-country skiing, it’s still proof that his level of performance is rising and a great promise for the winter.
For Miroslav Dvorek, the summer did not go really well...
Smid: No but he was starting with some health problems and not entirely himself. We will know more when he has been fully examined. He was clearly well-prepared at the beginning which we saw through test and also from the third-best time in the opening race. But after that, he began to feel weak and lacked strength. His discomfort was reflected in his jumps which previously were almost on Portyk’s level and of course also in the races.
The third Czech participant was a newcomer to the team, Andrej Pazout. How much of the Summer Grand Prix was just a learning experience for him?
Smid: Ondrej is only sixteen years old and these were his first experience racing with the seniors. If he hadn’t become ill, Petr Kutal would also have gotten a chance to start in the opening Team Sprint. But Ondrej has emerged as a very solid jumper and in the cross-country section, it’s logical that he is still weaker.
The Summer Grand Prix has also brought changes regarding the equipment control. How did your athletes cope?
Smid: They managed the new system without a problem but several athletes from other countries were disqualified. It is good that we get the chance to familiarize us with the new rules and try them in practice.
The main change is that the athletes are measured on top of the hill and the suit must remain in the same condition until after the jump. So the jumper may not touch the suit at all. It is a strict rule and sometimes difficult to enter the bar without touching anything but it increases the fairness of the competition. But for some athletes, it is definitely not easy to stop with their various rituals of slapping their thighs or pounding their chests before the jumps.
How will the next phase of preparation for the winter look like for your team now?
Smid: Until the second week of September, the athletes follow their individual training plans at home, focussing on endurance and strength. On September 18, we travel to the Austrian resorts of Tschagguns and Stams for five days and on September 28, the Czech summer nationals will take place in Liberec.
Starting with a positive observation: the performance of team youngster Tomas Portyk was very satisfactory in the Summer Grand Prix, wasn’t it?
Vladimir Smid: I am really satisfied with him. Not only did he jump on a stable, high level on all hills and finished in the Top Ten, he also managed to basically stay with the best skiers in the race. It was a hard program with five difficult races in eight days. And although the technique of roller skiing is not entirely comparable to cross-country skiing, it’s still proof that his level of performance is rising and a great promise for the winter.
For Miroslav Dvorek, the summer did not go really well...
Smid: No but he was starting with some health problems and not entirely himself. We will know more when he has been fully examined. He was clearly well-prepared at the beginning which we saw through test and also from the third-best time in the opening race. But after that, he began to feel weak and lacked strength. His discomfort was reflected in his jumps which previously were almost on Portyk’s level and of course also in the races.
The third Czech participant was a newcomer to the team, Andrej Pazout. How much of the Summer Grand Prix was just a learning experience for him?
Smid: Ondrej is only sixteen years old and these were his first experience racing with the seniors. If he hadn’t become ill, Petr Kutal would also have gotten a chance to start in the opening Team Sprint. But Ondrej has emerged as a very solid jumper and in the cross-country section, it’s logical that he is still weaker.
The Summer Grand Prix has also brought changes regarding the equipment control. How did your athletes cope?
Smid: They managed the new system without a problem but several athletes from other countries were disqualified. It is good that we get the chance to familiarize us with the new rules and try them in practice.
The main change is that the athletes are measured on top of the hill and the suit must remain in the same condition until after the jump. So the jumper may not touch the suit at all. It is a strict rule and sometimes difficult to enter the bar without touching anything but it increases the fairness of the competition. But for some athletes, it is definitely not easy to stop with their various rituals of slapping their thighs or pounding their chests before the jumps.
How will the next phase of preparation for the winter look like for your team now?
Smid: Until the second week of September, the athletes follow their individual training plans at home, focussing on endurance and strength. On September 18, we travel to the Austrian resorts of Tschagguns and Stams for five days and on September 28, the Czech summer nationals will take place in Liberec.
Source: fis-ski.com
