“Ski jumping in Zakopane? It is always an incredible show”
This may be the most viewed event in Poland during the 2023 European Games! At the turn of June and July, ski jumpers will fight it out for medals on synthetic surface on the hills of the Central Sports Center in Zakopane. – In Zakopane, I always feel like an actor taking part in an incredible show – stated Kamil Stoch, one of Poland’s top jumpers.
The event will kick off on 27 June with the individual women’s competition on the normal hill. A day later, the men will compete in the same venue. On 30 June, the women will take on the large hill, followed by the men on 1 July. In addition, a mixed team competition will take place on the normal hill on Thursday, 29 June. – It is going to be a major event and a new one for the jumpers. I hope the fans will come out in large numbers to support our athletes and it will be a competition to remember – added Adam Małysz, former Polish ski jumping great, now the president of the Polish Ski Association.
Małysz is convinced that the infrastructure of the Central Sports Center in Zakopane is ideal for the jumpers, not only because of the jumping hills. – In the last few years, the Zakopane CSC has changed a lot, not just in terms of infrastructure, but the human approach as well. Whatever we need, we get great support. Zakopane and the Zakopane CSC is our home. We have everything we need here, great training facilities and training center with excellent conditions. They make other national teams jealous. A well equipped gym, wellness center and large grounds, giving a sense of peace and quiet even in a crowded tourist resort. These are all important factors for our athletes – the former Polish star said.
The World Cup events in Zakopane have been a showcase for the sport for years. Thousands of Polish fans make for great atmosphere, which is appreciated not just by the Polish jumpers, but also those from elsewhere. – I love competing in Zakopane and I always associate the capital of the Tatra Mountains with good organisation, great crowd and atmosphere in the stands. I always look forward to jumping in Poland – stated Stefan Kraft, Olympic champion from Beijing in the team event, three-time world champion and two-time winner of World Cup competitions in Zakopane.
– You just need to look at the streets full of fans on the days of the competitions, at the venues getting better all the time and at the modernising CSC to see how important ski jumping is to Poland. Thanks to venues like these, new generations of young jumpers can be raised – said the two-time Olympic medalist Dawid Kubacki.
The first World Cup competition in Zakopane took place in 1980 and since 1996, with just two exceptions, it has been a regular stop on the tour. The Polish fans still remember the fantastic competitions of the past, with three victories by Adam Małysz and five by Kamil Stoch.
– Jumping in Zakopane, in front of the best crowd in the world, our fans, is something I love doing and that I long for. Winning in their presence is an incredible experience. Every time I stood on the podium, I waited for the national anthem, and thousands of people singing it make shivers run down my spine – Stoch said.
The director of the Central Sports Center Sebastian Danikiewicz is very happy the large and normal hills in Zakopane and the remainder of the infrastucture will serve as the site of world-class competitions once again.
– I am convinced the jumpers will, as usual, be happy with their visit to Zakopane. Obviously the town sees a large influx of tourists in the summer and I am sure they will be present at the hills. The Polish fans love ski jumping and I ensure you they will have a great experience during the competitions on the normal and large hills – Danikiewicz stated.
Tickets for ski jumping are already available.
The European Games will take place in Małopolska between 21 June and 2 July. One of the venues of the Games will be the hills of the Central Sports Center in Zakopane, where the competitions will take five days, from 27 June to 1 July.
