The bottom of Finnish male ski jumpers was already talking about Planica at the time of the World Championships. The same anthem continued in front of the home crowd at the World Cup in Salpausselkä.
In Finland, expectations grew last spring when he became known as a successful coach Mika Kojonkoski was recruited as the ski jumping and combined law director. At that time, Kojonkoski stated that the goal is to return Finland to the elite of ski jumping in four years.
Having coached as Finland’s head coach in the first decade of the 2000s Tommi Nikusen according to the first blame finger for poor results points in the direction of Kojonkoski.
– Mika was definitely taken on as a sport manager precisely because he would share the recipe for success with other coaches. In the meantime. The first year’s performances have not been terribly good, Nikunen, who currently works as ‘s ski jumping expert, stated in Urheilustudio.
Under Kojonkoski’s leadership, the activities of Finnish ski jumping have been centralized in Kuopio and coaches have been hired there. At least it hasn’t shown up in the results yet.
Janne Ahonen already took a strong position at the time of the World Championships in Planica that Finns do not practice enough physics. According to Ahonen, physics is a prerequisite for good jumps.
He has also seen a worrying trend in his own son’s age group. Mico Ahonen in the age group, the test results of jumpers are weaker in 20-21-year-olds than in 17-18-year-olds.
– The curves have turned down, and it shouldn’t be like that at that age. If you train even a little in that direction, the result should automatically increase. We probably do training, but not the right kind, says Ahonen.
Tommi Nikunen is on the same lines.
– We don’t blame athletes for not training enough. The focus has been strongly on side exercises. It’s the wrong way, Nikunen states.
– Physics is the easiest thing to fix. For every athlete, you can make legs with which to do well. Of course, you can’t tell yet whether there will be a successful hill jumper at the top. However, the foundation stone is easy to create.
According to Nikunen, Finnish ski jumping started looking elsewhere too much when the results started to decline. We forgot our own identity.
Now the head has been banging against the wall for ten years. Nikunen remembers the beginning of the 2000s, when Finland was still the best team in the world physically.
– Now it’s a really hard place to report for sports people, Nikunen emphasized.
The head coach changes – the experts can’t think of any Finnish alternatives
At least some changes are bound to happen, because Tendon Väätäinen will not continue as head coach. Väätäinen has had a hard time, because he has been away a lot from his family living in Japan.
Kojonkoski tells Urheilu that there have already been discussions about a new head coach.
– We have had several foreign contacts and several of our applications. We then wondered whether, in the long term, there should still be a Finnish head coach.
According to Nikunen, the head coach determines the direction, because he acts as a figurehead and most with the athletes in everyday life.
– However, I can’t think of a clear alternative, which Finn could serve as head coach, Nikunen states.
And it won’t come to Ahos either.
Kojonkoski admitted after the Lahti team competition that men’s jumping has not been very good overall this season.
– Of course, everyone is doing their best. However, we haven’t put together a package that would enable someone to compete at the top of the world, Kojonkoski stated.
Kojonkoski wanted to emphasize again that the young Finns have flashed this season. Vilho Palosaari won the junior WC gold in Canada. In the same games, Finland also fought for the championship in the team competition.
In addition, Kojonkoski makes the season of her life successful after competing in the Women’s World Cup Jenny Rautionahon.
According to Kojonkoski, the men’s side did not get what they were looking for, i.e. a clear change.
– I believe that we are on the right track. Maybe this season will give the necessary humility and everything will be fully involved in the line we are building, says Kojonkoski.
The Hill Jumping World Cup culminates next weekend in the flying hill competitions in Planica. shows the competitions live. Planica’s flying hill weekend starts with qualifying on Thursday at 11:25.