press center - Planica

Interview Jelko Gros, Chief of competition
What do you as the chief of competition expect from this World Championship?
A World Championship always brings a world champion as well. It is not
just a series of competitions. From my point of view it is of course one of
the peaks that I as an official can experience. I always devide the expectations
to personal ones which I have already mentioned and to the ones
pertaining to the organization or the event itself. I expect that my teammates,
who I've been working with for two years now and who had of course
been here before me, will do all the work that they do so well. We Slovenians
have always been well-known as good sporting workers. I also expect
them to remain loyal to Planica and the whole tradition.
In what way will this World Championship be different from those abroad and those
from Planica's past?
It's hard to say whether we will do better or worse, because no competition
in the world equals its precedent. My first and formost care is that we do all
we can. If the wether is fine and the competitors are in good form, the viewers
will enjoy the competition. And if besides that Slovenian jumpers do
their part well, it will be the greatest reward for all, including the guys who
already work in Planica or will start to soon.
The Olympic Games will just be over. Can this World Championship be compared
with them? What motivation will competitors have?
I think that due to the Olympic Games the festivity in Planica will be even
greater, as will be competitive tension. I think that a day after Olympic Games
athletes forget about them and go for new victories. We the officials
have a bigger problem with that because we have to take history into account,
but athletes have to forget everything and look ahead as if nothing
has happened. Therefore I have no doubts about their motivation.
Which part will the new rules play?
With this system we will be witnessing many long flights. I expect to see at
least fifteen jumps over 200 meters and at least two over two hundred and
thirty meters at each competition.
Is it different or perhaps harder to manage a competition in Planica than in other
jumping or flying hills?
Planica competition is rather demanding. The conditions are predictable
but they change at certain hours of the day. To jump in Planica with the
wind blowing from behind, as it happened last year, is not possible. The
flying hill is made for record lenghts and it's a pure pleasure to see the lifting
wind. Competitions in Harrachov are perhaps more demanding to
manage due to specific aerodynamic conditions on the jumping hill. In that
sense Kulm and Oberstdorf are more simple.
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FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2010