A few days before the start of the ski jumping season, national coach Maximilian Mechler surprisingly announced his resignation. Sports director Horst Hüttel talks about the background in an interview.
That was a bang: the national coach resigned shortly before the start of the season. His superiors were also caught off guard by this. “It was surprising in its dimensions. Of course there were certain tensions and there were discussions, but that is nothing unusual in competitive sport. It was surprising that Maximilian Mechler’s thoughts then developed in such a way,” says sports director Horst Hüttel.
Discussions about methods and demands in training
In view of the results of Mechler’s three-year era as national coach, the Allgäu native’s resignation is a great loss. Last winter, Katharina Althaus (now Schmid after her wedding) became world champion on the normal hill, and she also won gold twice in the team and mixed competition. Maximilian Mechler justified his resignation with the words that “he no longer reached the athletes as much as was necessary in order to ensure sporting success in the future.” Apparently the jumpers no longer unconditionally followed Maximilian Mechler’s training methods and demands
Mechler himself doesn’t want to make any further statements to the media at the moment, but sports director Hüttel explains the situation like this: “He has high standards and clear ideas and is very demanding. That can happen with 200 days a year that you spend together There will be signs of wear and tear.”
Interim coach Juffinger a different guy
Even if the resignation at this point could indicate a major rift, Hüttel denied the question of whether there had been a revolt by the jumpers against Mechler. “The athletes were also surprised by the national coach’s decision to resign,” says Hüttel. With assistant coach Thomas Juffinger as interim coach, the most obvious solution will now come into play. “He’s a different type of guy, maybe a little more open and willing to compromise. But he didn’t want this situation either,” is Hüttel’s assessment.
Juffinger should definitely guide the ski jumpers through the next winter. The national coaching position will not be filled again in the short term. Only at the end of the season will it be decided what happens next.
No effects on athletic performance expected
Quite a bit of unrest shortly before the start of the season in Lillehammer at the beginning of December. However, Horst Hüttel is sure that the ski jumpers are still in good shape and hopes that this change of coach will not throw them off their game.
