For the first time in 20 years without Kamil Stoch. The World Championships are starting

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Norway will host the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships for the sixth time in history. Oslo hosted the event four times in the past (1930, 1966, 1982, 2011), and in 1997 the event was held in Trondheim. Adam Małysz, the current president of the Polish federation, finished the competition on the Granasen facilities in 14th and 36th place, while Robert Mateja was fifth on the normal hill.

Poles have fond memories of Trondheim. In 2001, Małysz set a record for the facility, which left coach Apoloniusz Tajner in stitches. 138.5 m remained the longest official jump at Granasen until it was rebuilt in 2008. In the 2017/18 season, Stoch, in the form of his life, set off from the first starting beam and landed at 146 m.

However, in 2021, both hills were dismantled and modern facilities measuring 102 and 138 m were built in their place. They were officially opened on February 1, 2023. The honor of giving the first attempts was given to the Norwegians Johann Andre Forfang and Eirin Maria Kvandal. The Poles had the opportunity to train on these hills in September last year and spoke positively about them.

Their winter season, however, has been average. They have not stood on the podium even once, let alone their 100th World Cup victory, which they have been waiting for for almost two years - from March 16, 2023.

Austrian coach of the Polish team Thomas Thurnbichler has called up for the World Championships: Paweł Wąsek, who has performed best this season, as well as Aleksander Zniszczoł, Jakub Wolny, Dawid Kubacki and Piotr Żyła.

For the first time since 2005, Stoch will not be competing in the World Championships. He prepared for this season with his own team, led by Czech Michal Dolezal. The three-time Olympic champion made his World Championship debut 20 years ago in Oberstdorf. He later competed in Sapporo, Liberec, Oslo, Val di Fiemme, Falun, Lahti, Innsbruck and Seefeld, Oberstdorf and Planica. In 10 events of this rank, he won a total of six medals: two gold, a silver and three bronze.

"The decision on the World Championship line-up was made based on the World Cup ranking and the best individual result of the season. Kamil showed some improvement in Sapporo, but in reality other competitors achieved better individual results," Thurnbichler explained in a statement from the Polish Ski Association (PZN).

The Austrian's arguments are debatable, as in the general classification Wąsek is 14th, Zniszczoł - 24th, Wolny - 33rd, Kubacki - 34th, Stoch - 36th, and Żyła - 39th, although the latter - as the defending champion - guarantees Poland an additional, fifth starting place on the smaller hill.

Hopes can be pinned primarily on the youngest in the squad, Wąsek. This season, he has placed in the top ten six times in the World Cup, including fourth on the mammoth hill in Oberstdorf, while in Innsbruck and Zakopane he took fifth place.

In each of the competitions, the Austrians, who have been dominating since December, will be the favourites, with the winner of the Four Hills Tournament and leader of the general classification, Daniel Tschofenig, at the forefront. In the last cup competitions, although on "their" hill in Sapporo, the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi, who had previously failed, shone, the form of the Norwegians, who may be helped in Trondheim by their own walls, also improved.

Polish ski jumpers last failed to win a medal at the biennial World Championships in Liberec in 2009. However, in the Czech Republic, cross-country skier Justyna Kowalczyk won three medals - two gold and one bronze, and the Polish team continued a streak that began two years earlier. The last time they failed to stand on the podium at the World Championships was in 2005 in Oberstdorf.

Two years ago in Planica, Slovenia, the ski jumpers twice finished in the top three: Kubacki was third on the large hill, and Żyła defended his title on the normal hill.

Among the women, the favorite will be the World Cup leader, Nika Prevc. The Slovenian has won the last six individual competitions, including two this weekend in Hinzenbach, Austria. The sister of Peter, Domena and Cene is confidently heading for her second Crystal Globe.

Three Polish representatives will start in Trondheim: the best-looking Anna Twardosz, Pola Bełtowska and Nicole Konderla. Natalia Słowik was also supposed to go to Norway, but she decided to suspend her career.

Eight Poles will compete in cross-country skiing: Aleksandra Kołodziej, Izabela Marcisz, Monika Skinder, Sebastian Bryja, Dominik Bury, Kamil Bury, Piotr Jarecki and Maciej Staręga. This season, the Polish skiers have been sporadically winning World Cup points. Dominik Bury is ranked 78th overall, and Marcisz 119th.

One of the main characters and biggest stars of the event in Trondheim, regardless of the sports result, will be Therese Johaug. The Norwegian cross-country skier ended her career in 2022, but this season she returned to competition in the World Cup, including four victories and the Tour de Ski series. The 36-year-old has 19 World Championship medals to her name, including 14 gold. She won her first in 2011 in Oslo. She has also won the overall World Cup classification three times, notching 82 individual victories. She is also a four-time Olympic champion. However, a doping incident in 2016 is a blemish on her image, and an 18-month ban prevented her from participating in the Pyeongchang Games (2018).

Jessie Diggins, who leads the overall World Cup standings, also has a good chance of winning a few medals. The American has six individual victories this season.

Among the men, the hosts are counting primarily on Johannes Klaebo, who has won 10 individual victories this season and triumphed in the Tour de Ski. The Norwegian is best in sprints, but he also feels very good in distance running.

The decorated Norwegian double athlete Jarl Magnus Riiber has announced that he suffers from Crohn's disease and that this season is the last of his career. He will be all the more eager to win World Championship medals in front of his home crowd. His main rivals will be the Germans Vinzenz Geiger and Julian Schmid.

The Norwegian has already won the Crystal Globe five times. He has added eight gold and three silver medals at the world championships, as well as an Olympic silver.

In Nordic combined, Poland will be represented by Paweł Szyndlar, Andrzej Waliczek and Joanna Kil, who is 18th in the World Cup general classification.

Skiers in Trondheim will compete in 25 disciplines: 12 in cross-country skiing, six in Nordic combined and seven in ski jumping.

The World Championships opening ceremony will take place on Wednesday evening. The first medals will be awarded on Thursday, and the event will run until March 9.

Source of information: Polish Press Agency