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On Monday alone, the Polish ski jumpers were excluded from yesterday’s inaugural competition of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf (D). Yesterday everything turned out different: the International Ski Federation (FIS) reviewed its decision and allowed the Polish jumpers to participate around the defending champion Dawid Kubacki, who also became a father yesterday, and the Olympic champion Kamil Stoch.
How is this investment explained? The starting point for the exclusion was a positive corona test performed on Sunday by runner Klemens Muranka (Pol). Since there was active cooperation with many contacts within the Polish team, the responsible health authority in Allgäu had imposed a quarantine on the entire delegation, which meant that the Oberstdorf competition for Poles was canceled. A start in the New Year’s competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen also seemed more than questionable. Even the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, was outraged: “For us Poles, winter begins with ski jumping.”
A negative result from another Muranka test Monday night set things in motion. The FIS and the teams had agreed in an unscheduled meeting of team captains to allow the Poles to participate in the Four Hills Tournament, in case a third round of tests was negative. That happened and was communicated on Tuesday, whereupon the health department lifted the quarantine. “We will integrate the Polish team into the competition,” announced FIS Race Director Sandro Pertile.
A decision that is also in the spirit of sporting competition, because in the event of an exclusion in Oberstdorf, tour favorites Kubacki and Stoch would have no more chance of winning the overall.
Aschenwald keeps 5,000 euros
Since the Poles were not allowed to qualify on Monday, yesterday’s competition mode had to be changed backwards. The rating was quickly declared worthless and the first round increased from 50 to 62 starters. The consequence was that the usual direct elimination mode had to be sacrificed. Philipp Aschenwald won the last superfluous qualification. The Tyrolean can keep the 5,000 euros prize he received for it.
The Austrian Eagles, led by Stefan Kraft, Michael Hayböck and head coach Andreas Widhölzl, were also placed in crown quarantine this year. Unlike the current case in Poland, there was a series of positive ÖSV tests after the first weekend in Wisla, and the athletes also reported symptoms. Stefan Kraft was particularly affected. However, Muranka has not complained of any complaints.
