Bernie Schodler – The Swiss search for a fourth jumper
With the mini-team, the Swiss start the World Cup season 2003/04. Only Marco Steinauer, Andreas Küttel and Simon Ammann are currently members of coach Berni Schödler's staff.
“This trio was established during fall training and practice in St. Moritz”. Schödler explains: “Küttel is our number one. If he believes in himself and stays calm, then he can expect good results in the top ten.”.
Last year's achievements of the Swiss, especially Simon Ammann, after which much was promised, were under close observation. A lot has changed in the frame recently, "first of all, Sylvain Freiholz is no longer with us", says Schödler. There is a calmer atmosphere around the team, though not overly calm: “Fan interest is further away, also the media, who continue to support us. This is good, that we still have the opportunity to present ourselves”.
Swiss Championship 1. August in Kandersteg were a big event, were exceptionally popular. Two or three years ago it would have been unthinkable, for so many fans to come here for ski jumping, says Schödler. “The interest was huge”. And that's good. The Swiss are currently looking for a fourth player: jumper, who could jump with Küttel and company in team competitions, jumper, that would bring a little liveliness to the team.
Behind the cup trio, however, there is a big hole. Schödler does not mention any names, and only speaks. “It is advisable, for them to jump in the Continental Cup“. However, his view goes much deeper: “Our goal must be to take care of young people in the clubs, people full of enthusiasm for work".
Interest in ski jumping should be cultivated.
On the ski jump in Einsiedeln, where you can get distances to 110 m, one Summer-Grand-Prix competition may be held 2004. The organizers are already preparing for a possible event. However, Swiss ski jumping gets its biggest boost from well-known names and numbers, with familiar faces and characters. “We need the World Cup as a children's track. They should see Andy and Simon and then say: Hello, but it's a great thing”, says Schödler.
The Swiss coach turns away from the World Cup towards the juniors, and conversely. The summer preparation program has not changed much, which the Swiss partly had to extend due to wind and capricious weather at the hills in Vuokatti and Kuopio. Schoedler's players got used to the new dimensions of the overalls during the Summer-Grand-Prix. Regarding the hardware, the swiss team works together (as well as a Finnish and Polish team) with Eschler, which produces the material ("I don't want to mention his name", says Schödler) for overalls. Outfits from the Meininger company were also purchased, but the Swiss are already thinking about their own suit design, which they want to present in Turin in 2006 year.
This, that other countries also use Eschler material, Schödler does not consider it a disadvantage at all, because at least there is the possibility of a fair comparison with others.
Simon Ammann is currently unable to compete with the best. He can be a world class jumper, assessed by his guardian, because it has an amazing feel for flight - but other factors are not working right now. Ammann made no effort
in the spring to train as he should and did not reach a good level at the beginning of the season. To, that Ammann passed his final exams is of course a plus, but it, that he didn't give it his all in training in the spring, not any more. He didn't follow his training plans, which made Schödler angry: "This should be the norm, that a high-class athlete needs to find two hours a day to work on his fitness.” Ammann has made further progress, improved in summer and fall. Now the double Olympic champion from Salt Lake City is working hard and enthusiastic again. Ammann no longer looks to the past. "He wants to see his name in the credits, but that's far from it", the coach assesses the chances of his ward.
"We don't have to be on the podium in Kuusamo", says Schödler. "I expect, that our people will be physically prepared, mentally and technically for the competitions in Engelberg and the 4-Hills-Tournament“. These are the first, highlights of the season for the Swiss. At the Skiflying World Championships in Planica, Schödler can count on three competitors, who share his point of view: “Basically, you already have to define the goal for the player, to go with that attitude to fight for a medal. Otherwise he might as well have stayed at home.”
For the Swiss coach, the development of ski jumping in his home country is important. Encouraging and training young people is very important to him, maybe even more important than the current one, successful performances in the World Cup.