The Polish Ski Association is stepping it up when
it comes to the development and promotion of Nordic
Winter sports talents, especially in Nordic Combined.
About half a year after the Tatra Ski Association
formed a three-athlete junior Nordic Combined team
with newly retired athlete Tomasz Pochwala as a
coach and a similar request from the S'la;sko-Beskidzki
Ski Association with another three young Nordic
Combined skiers and Tomislav Tajner as responsible
coach, the Polish Ski Association successfully processed
a request for more funding with the national Physical
Culture Development Fund.
From the 1st January of 2014, the PZN now plans
to establish a six-athlete Nordic Combined team
with both Pochwala and Tajner as full time coaches.
The group consisting of Krystian Gryczuk, Jan Lowisz,
Michal Pytel, Pawel Twardosz, Jakub Jurosz and Dawid
Osinski will have their own budget.
It will also be the coaches' job to attract new
talents to the sport of Nordic Combined. "Pochwala
and Tajner will also be looking at the National
Programme for the Development of Ski Jumping and
go in search for Lotos Cup athletes who do not only
jump well but also like to ski. They will be encouraged
to start with regular Nordic Combined training.
The Polish Ski Association wants to increase the
work with this younger group of athletes. The goal
definitely is the development of Nordic Combined
in Poland", PZN President Apollonius Tajner
explains.