Ski jumper uprising

Forfang met Stöckl: “Things got ugly”

Alexander Stöckl (left) recently met with Johann André Forfang.

(Bild: GEPA, APA/AFP/Jure Makovec)

The spokesman for the Norwegian ski jumpers, Johann Andre Forfang, met with coach Alexander Stöckl last weekend. On the sidelines of the season finale in Planica, they discussed existing problems and a vision for the future. For the athletes, however, it was clear: the love affair with Stöckl is over, things have gotten a little ugly recently.

"It's a bit like meeting your ex," Forfang summed up after the meeting with Stöckl. The situation between the Austrian and his team had become increasingly tense over the course of the season. On the sidelines of the season finale in Slovenia, athlete spokesperson Forfang met with the coach for a crisis meeting. 

The Norwegians were not satisfied with the past season.

(Bild: AP)

"It's a love affair that has come to an end in many ways. Things got a bit ugly along the way, without anyone wanting it to," the ski jumper told Norwegian broadcaster "NRK".

The World Championships as motivation
Most recently, Stöckl no longer traveled with the team to the competitions. However, he has also emphasized that he would like to continue working as a coach in Norway. However, a continued collaboration in the current format is hardly conceivable.

It is a love affair that has come to an end in many respects.

Johann Andre Forfang

"It wasn't something that happened suddenly. It's something that's been going on for a long time. And for several years," explained Forfang. Now, however, the team was drastically worried about the future and had therefore taken the initiative: "With the World Championships in our own country, we have a very important season ahead of us. We have realized that there are many things that can be improved in the short term, if only we can get to grips with them."

"I find that a bit strange"
It is important for the 28-year-old to emphasize that this is not a personal matter between him and the 50-year-old. Rather, he is the mouthpiece of the team. The Norwegian did not want to say exactly what triggered the problems: "Many of the athletes and members of the system felt that things were going a bit slowly."

The Austrian himself sees the talks as a good approach. However, he cannot understand the dissatisfaction: "I find it a bit strange. We have carried out evaluations and tried to solve some small problems. But it has always been a challenge, especially in recent years, as we have very limited resources and staff." The Norwegians' new sporting director, Staale Villumstad, has announced that they would like to sit down together shortly and clarify the future.