The fresh blood of ski jumping - something about the juniors
The world's top ski jumpers don't come from nowhere. When they start to compete in the World Cup around the age of 20, they have already behind them years of trainings and rivalries in the junior competitions. To have the best athletes in the World Cup each country tries to provide to young adepts of ski jumping the best possible conditions for development. How does it look like?
The most recognizable area of competition of the young ski jumpers is the World Junior Championships, which are held every year since 1977. The current stars of ski jumping mostly took part and achieved a very good results in this competition - for example Jurij Tepes, Stefan Kraft, Gregor Schlierenzauer, Peter Prevc of Michael Hayboeck were the medalists of this prestigious junior event. It is a very good way to show the world the jumpers who will be attack the World Cup podiums in the future.
But before the participating in the World Junior Championships the juniors compete on their own "backyard". For example in Poland there is the LOTOS Cup, grounded in 2005. It is a cycle of competitions for the youngest ski jumpers in the country in which could participate the jumpers in few categories - senior, junior A, B, C, D, E and also the girls. It is a very good way to promote this sport among the youngest and distinction of the real talents.
The legendary forge of talents is too the Schigymnasium in Austrian Stams, to which attended the stars of ski jumping, for example Toni Innauer, Andreas Goldberger, Martin Höllwarth, Ernst Vettori, Gregor Schlierenzauer, Heinz Kuttin, Andreas Widhölzl and Andreas Kofler. It is the best place in the world to learn this sport. Experienced trainers and experts help young jumpers, making this school a truly unique institution.
In Norway there is a lot of ski clubs and training teams in which young ski jumpers can train. For them was grounded the BUFF Norges Cup in which, as in Poland, the young jumpers (boys and girls) can compete. The new Junior World Champion Johann Andre Forfang also took part in the Norges Cup and that shows how much these competition help the young jumpers to find themselves on the top.
It is really important to promote ski jumping among the young people all over the world. Thanks to various institutions and competitions we have an opportunity to watch the athletes who soon join the World Cup. Hopefully the traditions of special schools and clubs for young jumpers will soon be present in more countries.
By Anna Sobol
