Last year in criticism, now on top: Stefan Horngacher met the German ski jumpers before the start of the tour on Friday from 5:15 p.m. in Oberstdorf (live in the first and in live-Ticker at sportschau.de) led to absolute top form. But he doesn’t speak plainly about his future as a national coach.
Stefan Horngacher may have regretted this one sentence in retrospect. “Never”said the national coach of the German ski jumpers shortly before the start of the Four Hills Tournament 2022, “I went on tour with such a good team”.
Ten days and numerous disappointments later, this statement blew up in Horngacher’s face. But as we all know, we learn best from mistakes.
This year he left such sentences alone. A “Small, compact, but very quick-witted team” he has it together, emphasized Horngacher modestly before the start of the tour in Oberstdorf. After a difficult year, the Austrian impressively led the German ski jumpers back to the top of the world – and nurtured hopes of a German tour victory.
“There are also other opportunities to work in the association”
It could be Horngacher’s last mission. His contract as national coach expires in spring 2024, and he himself has recently not ruled out an end to his term in office. “There are also other ways to work in an association. It doesn’t always have to be that way job to be the national coach”said the 54-year-old to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger before the start of the tour.
First he will “Continue working with concentration this season – and then we’ll sit down together,” Horngacher said. At the end of his contract he would be in office for five years. In 2019 he succeeded Werner Schuster at the DSV Eagles – and initially built on the success of his popular compatriot.
“Rearranging the store was difficult”
The kink came last winter. Horngacher had to be the weakest worldcupseason for German ski jumpers for eleven years. The balance was increased somewhat by the World Cup medals from Andreas Wellinger and Karl Geiger – but Horngacher, as an active player himself, was world champion teamhad to nibble.
“It wasn’t an easy time, even for me as a coach”he admitted: “If the performance isn’t right, the whole thing starts team think: what do we do now? Rearranging the store, especially after the season, was difficult.”
In Poland, Stoch led to a tournament victory
Horngacher managed to turn things around – also thanks to his calm, sociable, but professional and meticulous manner. “Steff”, who has lived with his family in the Black Forest for years, had also made this extremely successful in Poland. During his three years as head coach, he led the Polish national hero Kamil Stoch to old strength and to the “Grand Slam” at the Four Hills Tournament 2017/18.
A success that they have been longing for in Germany for 22 years now. Horngacher should now bring him. It could be the last mission he completes as national coach.