– They probably take a big risk. You have to do it and be at the limit in ski jumping. Everyone is on the edge, but it looks like Norway has taken too many risks in recent years, says the Polish showjumping coach Thomas Thurnbichler to news about Norway’s repeated disqualifications. – He must think so. We don’t feel we do that, answers Clas Brede Bråthen, sports manager for the national team. National team coach Alexander Stöckl believes the criticism from the Polish coach is thin. – It’s easy to say when we have a counter. Then we just wait until he gets a counter on his, and then we say exactly the same thing, he replies when he is confronted with the criticism from Thurnbichler. Marius Lindvik was disqualified after problems with the showjumping suit during the New Year showjumping race, and Halvor Egner Granerud was disqualified for a large suit at the end of November at the latest. Top of the statistics The statistics on the number of disqualifications due to dress problems show that Norway has far more than its competitors in recent years. Norway has a total of 40 disqualifications in the last ten years, while the next country on the list is Slovenia with 28. Bråthen believes there are several explanations for the figures: – It is over a long period. During parts of that period, we were in a learning phase. In recent times I do not feel that we have so much, much more disks than other nations. Jumping race director Sandro Pertile is not sure whether Norway’s statistics are that much higher overall than other countries. – In all competitions we have six or seven Norwegian jumpers. I think that if you count the number of jumps we have in the year, you will see that the percentage is not that high. – Thinner staffing The sports manager is clear that the figures are connected to the national team’s lack of staffing. – We are much more thinly staffed than our competitors. It is very strange if we manage to do as good a job as twice as many other people do, he says and elaborates: – We reported this to the management of the Norwegian Skiing Association when they started to cut back. Then we said that we were at the limit of pain in relation to staffing. Anyone who knows a little about it understands that it can have consequences. And this may be a result of that. DIRECTOR OF SPORTS: Clas Brede Bråthen Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB The Norwegian national team has five in the support staff, one of whom works with the jump suits. Competitors such as Poland, Germany and Austria have about ten in the support apparatus, and up to three working on the suits. – We have a very small team, and it’s a hell of a job to make sure that the suit is inside of seven people, notes Stöckl. The national team coach says that with such a small device they have to make hard priorities. – First of all, we ensure that the suit is inside the very best, such as Halvor, and then we have to lower the priority on others. It may then happen that not all suits are checked at all times. Before each competition, the suits are reviewed. The athlete puts it on, measures, takes it off and changes the suit. According to Stöckl, it is a very demanding job, and thus it sometimes ends up with a counter.
ttn-69
Polish show jumping camp believes Norway is taking too many chances – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
