„I was really pleased to be
better than the special jumpers!“
It was a big weekend for Tomas Portyk. At the past
Czech national championships at Liberec, the 18-year-old
walked away highly decorated: not only did he claim
a total second place and the title of Czech junior
national champion in Nordic Combined but can also
call himself junior Czech champion in ski jumping
from now on. TUESDAY TALK stopped by to hear about
Portyk’s success weekend, the first Youth Olympic
Games winner’s Olympic experience at Sochi and his
new coach, Ladislav Rygl.
With Ladislav Rygl, your team got a new head coach
this season. How has the cooperation been so far?
Tomas Portyk: Ladislav Rygl is a very good coach.
He introduces new tactics and new ways of training,
so I hope that everything will be even better in
the future.
You were pretty successful at the nationals one
week ago, claiming the junior titles in both Nordic
Combined and Ski Jumping. We do hope you’re not
thinking about changing disciplines?
Portyk: Yes, I am very happy with that weekend because
two titles is super but mainly, I was really pleased
to be better than the special jumpers! (laughs)
A lot of people have actually asked me if I wanted
to change the discipline but I am dedicated to Nordic
Combined. Time will tell where I will end up in
a couple of years but for now, it’s definitely Nordic
Combined.
In the last winter, you were able to win your first
ever jumping event during the World Cup competition
in Trondheim. How was the experience?
Portyk: It was a gerat feeling because it took a
really good jump to win the jumping event. But eventually,
I would like to win the jumping event and be really
quick on the track, too. And I hope that in a few
years, I will be able to win the complete event.
Usually you’re having a little more trouble during
the cross-country parts of the competitions. What
is your goal in this area for the upcoming competitions?
Portyk: Yes, that’s true. But I started to do Nordic
Combined when I was 14 years old and I hope that
in a few years I'll reach my full potential cross-country-wise
and then it will not be a problem anymore.
After being the winner of the first Youth Olympic
Winter Games in Innsbruck in 2012, you experienced
your first Olympic Games in Sochi in the last winter.
Were the YOG an important step on the way to the
Olympics for you?
Portyk: The YOG were definitely important and were
a good preparation in some way. But even more important
to me was every point I collected in the World Cup
so far.