The great sick of ski jumping. Finland: analysis of a decline.

With the precious help of former jumpers, coaches and Finnish technical managers we have tried to conprendere the main reasons, the reasons and the causes that have led a nation that only ten years ago was driving the specialty '' to be a comprimaria the special jump international level.

Wednesday 11 January 2017 16 minutes reading time

C''erano once the famous "Flying Finn", ie children born practically on trampolines in a land where the ski jump was more of a religion. These guys had mythical names and were dominant in every competition that disputed whether the World Cup, World Cup, Olympics or the famous Tournee of 4 Trampolines. And in every race from the years' 50s forward if you went to see the full results of the competition the Finnish guys often hogging much of the top ten. We said legendary names such as those of the various Kankkonen, TÃ¶rmÃ¤nen, NykÃ¤nen, Nieminen, Soininen, Ahonen etc, which have more '' sometimes stamped their name on the world's major trophies. But in 2010 something and '' broken and in these times the Flying Finn remain only a faded memory of the past. One figure, among the many possible, to explain the Finnish declico jump: At the end of the 2005-06 season there were eight Finns in the top 55 of the World Ranking list: 4th) Ahonen p. 1104, 9th) Happonen p. 754, 11th) M. HautamÃ¤ki p. 647, 26 Â°) Kiuru p. 279, 35th) Jussilainen p. 155, 35th) Ikonen p. 155, 43 Â°) Olli p. 90, 49 Â°) Ruuskanen p. 74. Total points Finland 3258 Now after Tournee 2017 only Jarkko MÃ¤Ã¤ttÃ¤ is placed at the 55th place of the WRL p. 88. Finland 88 points total To understand fully the reasons for this drastic decrease we made use of different opinions to get a fairly detailed explanation of this striking disappeared from the international radar. Heikki Ylipulli (ex jumper 80) the question arises mainly on two aspects related to each other: economic recession and lack of technical development. "As mentioned in your charts, the situation is pretty grim here in Finland. The number of jumpers is decreasing year after year and there are multiple reasons for this. In general the situation is related to the fact that not and '' in its best epoch economically also Finland. Traditionally, individual sports are based on volunteer work here in Finland; this kind of spirit and '' dead and the traditional sports is changing from individual sports to team sports like hockey especially, sport in which many young people see in perspective engagements much higher. In the last 5 years, the international ski jumping and '' very developed in terms of technology, materials and suits. Also with the new facilities we saw a different kind of form in InRun. In recent seasons the top athletes benefit by increasing the speed produced by the centrifugal force from exit date of dell''inrun curve. This fact means that success is based year after year from producing power. Motor skills are being gradually replaced by power produced. While here in Finland the basic preparation of the technical and '' still mainly tied to enable '' motor and produce lift by athletes under the skis. " Risto Jussilainen: (Former vaulter years 1992- 2007) tends mainly to accuse the Federation in previous administrations, guilty in his opinion not to have more '' followed and developed the "recruitamento" of young people to gradually levers that "old standards" They are abandoning the 'activities'' challenge. "The miserable situation is a sum of many things. Part of everything '' and '' due to the Finnish Federation of my time and that is '' cradled on his laurels of time without '' treat the same way the development of new generations. When the various NykÃ¤nen, Puikkonen, Nikkola in the years' 80 were at the top, at the same time is followed and developed the young people of my era (the Ahonen, Laitinen, HautamÃ¤ki, Soininen) carefully. In the same way you did with the previous generation to that of NykÃ¤nen in the years' 70s and away with this transition by generating a continuing winning cycle. For various reason, then this chain is broken, and today we are paying the price for this mistake. Another big problem at the moment is the near absence of trained coaches who know how to teach proper techniques for junior boys. " While Kari Patari (personal coach MÃ¤Ã¤ttÃ¤, Aalto and Youth boys in Vuokatti) poses the problem in the first place that currently has little appeal on the jump in Finland compared to her by promising kid time. "Only in 2007 the participants at Hopeasompa (reserved national championships for the under 12-16 ed.) Were more than 200 and last year in Kuopio we had the participation of only 70 boys divided between the different categories of age ''. And '' obvious that with these numbers and '' harder to find future talents as they did in the years 60-70 where participants were slightly below one thousand boys. Now the biggest challenge in Finnish jump is trying to re-attract young children to the practice of ski jumping and to do this we must have trampolines most '' modern and more economic resources. Of course we have other challenges ahead and also base coaches must adjust to new teachings to stimulate the boys. " Even for the promising seventeen Niko KytÃ¶sÃ¤ho good share of responsibility for the Finnish decline is ascribable between the Federation and the economic downturn of this historical period. But Niko wants to think positive and see a little light at the end of the tunnel: "I think the main reason, and '' that the older generation has stopped and while it was the world's top, Finland has forgotten to properly cultivate new teenager. So basically we have lost the generation born between 1990-96. Now the work with junior is growing back, and we have more money for them. I also think that some coaches here in Finland have image according jump as in years '' and 90 should follow the dictates of the most technical in vogue today. But now our new coach Andi Mitter is doing a good job in Finland and I'm sure that maybe will take time but Finland will be back at the top " However, it is the very detailed analysis that gives us Lauri Kettunen (new Head of activity '' Nordic Suomi) developed six basic schematic points some of which confirm the answers given by previous speakers: "1) Number of children who come to the discipline in sharp decline in recent years. 2) Finland has had in the past as a genuine superstar NykÃ¤nen, Nieminen, Ahonen etc. This has made it easier for new come to the fore, as the 'media attention was focused on the stars, and young people had no pressure nell''ottenere results. If not exceeded the qualification, came "only" in the top 20 people did not care as there was Ahonen or NykÃ¤nen who always overcame them and stole the spotlight anyway. Now this does not happen anymore. 3) At the turn of the years 2010, our best jumpers Larinto, Happonen, Ahonen, HautamÃ¤ki or serious injury or having completed the 'activities and all simultaneously creating a large blank results, Popularity in the media and attention from people . 4) Down cycle has arisen in step 3 has had the negative consequence that many sponsors have abandoned the team denying us the financial support of the good times. 5) once things have become critical for Finland has become exponentially more difficult to put things in the right direction. 6) We maybe we were too satisfied with past successes and we have seen how other nations have been able to innovate technically in every possible detail. Others have taken and passed the technical nell''equipaggiamento of 'cutting edge that we had in the past thanks to wonderful people like Matti Pulli (Suomi coach in the years 70-80-90) which was manic in studying in detail every little technical detail related special to jump. Adding all these elements in combination with other unfortunate circumstances has arisen the sad current situation. Not c''Ã¨ '' a single reason. But I have confidence and I believe that will climb the new bank " We want to think that with the latest wretched management of NiemelÃ¤, Ylianttila / Klinga has finally reached the lowest point and with the new management of the Finnish Ski begun three years ago by the Federation Kulmala duo - Vuori you can achieve short-term results worthy of a glorious past. In fact, this season Finland for the first time in its long history has been entrusted to a foreign technician following the embossed groove in recent seasons by European top nations. Small signs were seen with the first months of dell''austriaco Mitter management. The economic situation is slowly improving, thanks at the entrance of new sponsors and with the flywheel impressed by household next World Cup in Lahti that everyone will hope that even the 'media attention grows. Another positive sign and '' the new agreement entered into by the Federation with YLE TV that will bring next season all Nordic disciplines clearly visible on national channels free unlike the last 5 years that were visible only internal competitions. We can also compare the situation today jumping Nordic combined Suomi situation of five years ago where with the withdrawal of Manninen and the passage of Koivuranta to jump, left Finland with no top athlete for three years. Li, however, '' and '' given full confidence and maximum uptime in setting a long-term work on the young duo Kukkonen- Kuisma and year after year they are expressing young people of value that are bringing Finland to be a leading nation in the combined worthy the glorious past of the land of a thousand lakes. shortly we meet again even the Flying Finn of the jump back to the glories of their tradition or the void of results will continue inexorably?

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