The change was decided ahead of this weekend’s World Cup Finals in Planica, Slovenia, and both the athletes and Thurnbichler were informed in advance, according to officials.
PZN chief and former ski-jumping legend Adam Małysz said the decision followed discussions with athletes and coaching staff.
"The board of the Polish Ski Association decided that changes to the national team structure were necessary," Małysz said in an official statement.
"Taking into account the atmosphere in the team and the good of the squad, we have decided to end our cooperation with Thomas Thurnbichler as head coach of Team A," he added.
Speaking to the press in Planica, Małysz acknowledged that relations within the team had deteriorated, and most athletes no longer wanted to continue working under the Austrian.
One of Poland’s most successful jumpers, Kamil Stoch, was also reportedly in favour of the decision.
Stoch, who has had a separate coaching arrangement this season with Czech trainer Michal Doležal, was said to have missed the regular training interaction with the rest of the squad.
Thurnbichler took over as head coach in April 2022. In his first season, Dawid Kubacki finished second in the prestigious Four Hills Tournament and held second place for much of the World Cup season before ending fourth overall.
That same year, at the World Championships in Planica, Piotr Żyła won gold on the normal hill and Kubacki claimed bronze on the large hill.
This season, however, brought significantly weaker results.
Aleksander Zniszczoł twice managed a third-place finish, and only Paweł Wąsek reached the World Cup podium once, finishing third last weekend in Lahti, Finland.
Wąsek had previously spoken positively about working with Thurnbichler and was offered the chance to continue under him in an individual arrangement.
However, he chose to remain with the main squad.
Thurnbichler had been contracted through the 2025–26 season, which includes the next Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
In a farewell statement, he confirmed his departure: "Yes, this is my final weekend as coach of the Polish ski jumping team. I want to thank especially the Polish fan community. Without you, ski jumping wouldn’t be the sport it is. See you on the hill," he said in remarks published by the PZN.
He has been offered a new role as junior team coach but has asked for time to consider the proposal.
His replacement, 43-year-old Maciej Maciusiak, was a ski jumper himself, though he did not enjoy major competitive success.
He competed in the Continental Cup and was briefly part of Poland’s World Cup team in 2002, though he failed to qualify.
In 2004, he won a Polish team championship representing the AZS AWF Katowice sports club.
After retiring from competition, Maciusiak began coaching in 2005, initially assisting with Poland’s youth team and later working with various development squads.
From 2012 to 2023, he led Poland’s Teams B and C before becoming Thurnbichler’s assistant this year.
Maciej Maciusiak. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot
The head coach change is not the only staffing shake-up this season.
In February, Alexander Stoeckl, another Austrian and former head coach of Norway’s ski jumping team, resigned as PZN director for ski jumping and Nordic combined.
He had only held the post since August and cited conflict with Małysz as the reason for his departure.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP