Stefan Horngacher – Changing perspectives
Stefan Horngacher is no longer the charismatic competitor, whom we still remember from last season's performances. Now it has a completely new function, is the second head coach of the Austrian national team.
A medal in individual competitions remained a dream
Last, the great triumph remained his unfulfilled dream. Although Stefan Horngacher from Wörgl in Tyrol tried to win it to the end. “A medal in the individual competition at a big event and I stop jumping”, he kept repeating to his friends and journalists.
Medal in team competitions? So, Already – but didn't he already win it in a competition in Val di Fiemme in 1991 with his friends Heinz Kuttin, Andreasem Felderem i Ernstem Vettorim? Didn't he already win a bronze medal in 1993 during the World Championships in Falun and 1994 i 1998 medals of the same color at the Lillehammer and Nagano Olympics?
Some kind of curse or fate hangs over him:
Stefan Horngacher, 20. September will end 33 lata, He faced various adversities, which prevented him from winning the coveted medal: he resisted the constant changes in the discipline, severe viral infection, and he also had to put up with it, that he missed his goal by fractions of a point. This was the case in Ramsau in 1999 year on the normal hill, where he was narrowly overtaken by teammate Martin Hoellwarth. Two years later, Hoellwarth again secured a bronze medal in Lahti, and Horngacher took fourth place.
Medal in team competitions? So, already has – At the world championships in Austria, led by Mika Kojonkoski, he won bronze, a w Lahti w 2001, where the Austrian national team experienced the death of their coach Alois Lipburger in a car accident, he won bronze on the large hill and gold on the small hill.
“It's nice to be taken seriously”
For Stefan Horngacher, the payment for the effort put into his work is not the most important thing. For more than ten years of active ski jumping, everyone respects him. “It's nice to be taken seriously by young players, if you can be a role model for someone”, said the Austrian. “I feel good in this team.”
Now Horngacher's goals are changing, wants to prove himself as a father in the family, as well as a team coach. He is no longer the same fighter on the hill, asked, he always gave good advice, but this, who must stand up for himself if necessary, has to make up his mind. Horngacher is a trainer, not a player. Horngacher no longer advises, he decides.
This week the team goes to Stams, where in the first days of September she will be preparing for the next Summer Grand Prix competition in Lahti. The cooperation is going great. Austrian team coaches, headed by Finn Hannu Lepistö, with Heinz Kuttin and Stefan Horngacher, already celebrated three wins for Andreas Widhölzl.
“Working together with Lepistö is going great”
“Working together with Lepistö is going great”, Horngacher said. “My responsibilities include the selection of equipment and analysis of the flight phase.” This suits the former Tyrolean player very well: “I can implement my ideas. I was given a lot of room for manoeuvre.” The work is insanely tiring, but it is already showing results.
His friend and ward Andreas Widhölzl testifies, that Horngacher has great possibilities and always consistently pursues his goal. Everything will be fine-tuned by the start of the season, agreed goals and developed strategy.
“All, what we have set up so far, we realized how 1:1”, Horngacher said, not proud at all, rather, with modesty and humility. “Widhölzl's main concern was, it was just not stable. We had to look for different ways.”
However, Horngacher does not forget about Martin Hölwart either, which took third place in Hinterzarten, and about Martin Koch, Wolfgang Loitzl and other young jumpers in his team.
He also does not forget about Andreas Goldberger, he had been jumping with him a year ago and they fought a few fierce duels on the hill.
“Goldi is part of the squad”
What Horngacher said about the world champion in flights with 1996 is very interesting: “Goldi still has a training backlog, because he joined us a bit later, but he has quite a lot of potential and abilities, to jump well again. Belongs to the team. Five years ago, the team was doing so well, as it is now!”
“Why doesn't he work in Germany?”
The Austrian Ski Association tried to get Horngacher, just like the Dutch: “I wanted to stay in Austria, to be able to use the professional path of army education”, the interested person said, who signed a two-year contract, and later he will gain experience working with the B team, in the future, he will be able to apply for the position of head coach. “Does not matter where, I am open to the world. I just need to know the assumptions, so that you can work efficiently. Germany?
Also in Germany, why not?”
“Schmitt and Hannawald don't have to prove anything”
Will he envy his colleagues from Germany?, Horngacher himself does not know. “There are some young people in Germany, talented jumpers, who show great potential, but they are not that far yet, so that they can achieve very good results on a regular basis. Without the two stars of Martin Schmitt and Sven Hannawald, it will be difficult to achieve success. I hope, that these two will return in the winter, what will make, that the fights for the podium will be exciting. Schmitt and Hannawald don't have to prove anything to anyone. And how is their progress in healing the injury, what stage they are at?
I don't have enough news, but I'm afraid, that both may take a long time, to go back to the old form. A short-term improvement will not allow a streak of success.”
“I'm on the right side”
In Stams we will be jumping, work on strength – and caregivers will diligently write training plans. “When I'm standing on the tower and I see one of ours, that glides in the air: I also want to jump”, says Horngacher with lost hope. “But if I remember the murder, which the jumper takes upon himself, I know, that suits me. You're on the right side.”