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Interview by: Katarzyna Clio Gucewicz and Sonja Kolaczkowska
During a training camp of the Norwegian team, which took place in Kuopio, we were able to exchange a few words with some of the athletes. Our questions were answered by Anders Jacobsen - the biggest star of the last season, and Sigurd Pettersen - one of the more experienced of Norway's representatives. We wish you an enjoyable read.
How are this summer's trainings going for you? How's your form at present?
Anders Jacobsen: It's getting better and better. It's not perfect yet, there's still a lot of work ahead of us, but the whole training process is going well.
Sigurd Pettersen: I agree.
How's your knee, Anders?
A.J.: It's not at in the best shape yet, I'm still recuperating. An inflammation has ensued, not so much in the knee-joint itself, but somewhere near it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be going away, but I can't sit around doing nothing, and that's a problem too. However, I hope that I'll have fully recovered by the time the winter season starts.
You've already had some training camps...
A.J.: The first was in Trondheim, at Granaasen. The second in Lillehammer, where you can now also jump in the summer, because the hill has finally been equipped with plastic covering. Up until now, we'd only been able to jump in Trondheim in the summertime.
We found information about a camp in Pragelato on the website of the Norwegian Skiing Federation - have you been training there too?
S.P.: Roar and Lars Bystoel went there, it was a children's camp, for the juniors. The rest of the team trained at Lillehammer at that time.
What's the atmosphere in the team like at this moment? What are your feelings on that? Mika said that in comparison to last year, everybody's moods are more evened out...
A.J.: That's true. I think that the team is now stronger as a whole, than it was at this point a year ago. Back then it was me and Roar in the best form, and at present, it's Bjoern Einar who is starting to jump well, same with Sigurd, who has had some really good jumps. My form leaves a lot of room for improvement as yet, but everything's going in the right direction, and that's the most important thing. Also my feeling of flight is improving.
Sigurd, the last season has shown that you have some problems with stability. You achieved some pretty good, but also totally bad ranks. Do you know what was the cause of this lack of stability? What was the problem?
S.P.: I had the most trouble with my inrun position, which I changed a bit in the course of the season. After the competitions in Neustadt, I returned to the A team, which I remained in to the end. My form has in fact fluctuated, but I'd always had at least one good jump on every hill. Now I'm working on that, precisely on the stabilization of my form, and I am also working on my inrun position this whole time.
You're an experienced jumper, you've been jumping in the World Cup for some years now. How's your motivation?
S.P.: I have no problem with it. Ski jumping is the best thing I can do, I love jumping. I plan to keep doing it as long as I'll be able to, and if I can achieve some good results and maintain a high level, my enjoyment will be doubled.
Anders, you in turn have just jumped your first season in the World Cup. You told us in the interview in Kuusamo that you'd be satisfied with a spot among the top 20 - and you ultimately became the second best jumper in the series. What kind of impression did this wonderful season make on you?
A.J.: It was naturally a lot of fun. The first trainings on snow in Lillehammer started out very well. I had a good feeling for the jumps and almost every single one was... well... excellent. My self-confidence skyrocketed. In Kuusamo, despite bad conditions, I jumped on the same level as the top 10. That also boosted my self-confidence, because it was the first World Cup event I participated in. It just went on and it was all very pleasant, because I succeeded in all I did. I was new on the team and everybody was supporting me, which was great. In Engelberg, where I had my first victory, I felt like I was in heaven, because everyone longs to win. Everyone does everything they can to be the best, to do the most perfect of jumps. Basically everything went really well, up until Willingen. During the Four Hills Tournament, I had to deal with the immense interest of the media, which was new to me, and pretty difficult. At times like this it's the team that counts, the people who are around you, who back you up.Without them, I wouldn't stand a chance. After Willingen I was really tired and started to lose motivation, although I was still one of the best. The process of burning out. I needed a break. But to sum up the whole season, it was really amazing.
Is there any particular special memory from this season you look back upon? A personal number one, the most important moment?
A.J.: Innsbruck, Engelberg, Vikersund. Naturally, winning the Four Hills Tournament was something unbelievable. All the team competitions, because when a team works together to succeed, it's wonderful and enjoyable. Everything has to be organized, in a sense. Everyone's got to know everything, and the pressure is different than in the individual competitions. I liked that.
You said that at one point, you were tired, which isn't anything extraordinary: the season is four months long, and you were jumping in it for the first time. That can be exhausting...
A.J.: While going to competitions, there was a lot of media uproar, a lot of questions - but also after coming back home, I still felt the stress. It was new to me and it wasn't easy to deal with it. I tried to approach it calmly, however, tried to be myself, be honest, and it somehow worked out, but it still cost me a fair amount of energy.
In an interview for the Norwegian media, you mentioned that you miss your family...
A.J.: Yes, at times I did in fact miss them. My family has always supported me immensely and I wouldn't have made it to the World Cup without them.
Did they miss you too?
A.J.: Oh, I don't think so. (laughs) They were surely glad to have gotten me out of the house. (laughs)
Sigurd, you've been jumping in the World Cup for some time now. Can you tell us what has changed in Norway's ski jumping during this time?
S.P.: Mika's philosophy has spread throughout Norway. More and more people know the line he has set and work in consistency with it. For us, the challenge is to continuously develop his ideas, giving some particular information also to children who jump, introducing it to their training programs, so that me and Anders will be able to watch some great Norwegian jumpers on TV in a couple of years.
How is it with the popularity of ski jumping in Norway - has it changed much?
S.P.: 5-6 years ago, when Mika took charge of our representation, there was almost no interest in ski jumping. Norwegian ski jumping was sprawled out on the floor with a broken backbone, and didn't amount to anything at all. The media were laughing at us. When the success came, the media went along with it. The first two years were very stressful for the Norwegian jumpers, because the fuss caused by the media was immense in comparison to what they'd known before. This subsided with time, and stabilized to a certain level. But more and more people are watching ski jumping now, and they tell us it brings them joy.
A.J.: They like what they see.
S.P.: I think that one of the things that has made us so popular is that we're just being ourselves, we're not pretending to be someone we're not.
A.J.: We're just ski jumpers, and not some superstars. People can see themselves in some of us.
S.P.: We're regular guys.
You're a team. Naturally, each of you is an individuality, but despite that, you're one of the best ski jumping teams in the world. You stick together, I think that's impressive for a lot of people.
S.P.: It's actually an individual sport and everyone should concentrate on themselves, but we're able to show that we really are a team and that we believe in the strength that lies within being a team. Yes, that also adds to the popularity.
Can you feel that popularity in your everyday life?
S.P.: Sometimes strangers stop me and tell me nice things. A certain amount of people cares about who I am, they have their own opinion - be it good or bad, which makes no difference. They're honestly speaking their mind.
But can you live your life in peace? Because that can be a problem, for example for Adam Malysz.
S.P.: I can live in peace.
A.J.: It's completely different in Norway. I've also got my peace, no problems. No one bothers us. The media can be a problem at times, but only sometimes.
When do you get the feeling that the media is pushing the limit?
A.J.: During the season. For example, one day the newspapers can say that Mika said we should have our peace, that we need a few days to catch our breath, but at the same time they call us 200 times an hour. That's not really giving us our peace and it's pretty annoying. There are also situations where they won't call me - because then I can't just say "no" - but they call my grandma, my younger sister, they ask: "Where's Anders?" I don't think that's okay.
What about your popularity among your fans, among people who like ski jumping and are interested in it? Is that hard for you?
S.P.: In Norway, older people send you letters, write different things in them, blah, blah, blah. We sometimes write back. However, I think that the general opinion is that we're normal people. There isn't any special fan cult.
And outside of Norway?
A.J.: The phenomenon has a much larger scale. In Poland, Germany and Austria, the popularity is really big. I don't know how much fanmail I got this summer, but if I were to keep all my fan letters at home, there would be a whole lot of them. It's quite pleasant, to some extent. Most often, the fans just want an autograph or a photo, and that's really not a big problem, just to put it in an envelope and mail it back, so that's okay.
And what about marriage proposals?
A.J.: I got one from Vikersund, during the ski flying competition. (laughs) One of the girls in the crowd near the outrun proposed to me. But somehow I failed to make contact.
Sigurd, two new faces appeared in the team this year: Anders and Tom Hilde. Anders Bardal also joined in, although he'd jumped in the World Cup before. Has the atmosphere, the spirit in the team, changed in any way because of this?
S.P.: It was very building to have two young athletes join the team, especially as they had achieved great results. At the beginning of the season, Anders was the number one in the team and in fact it was him who was pulling us forward with his excellent jumps. What can I say? It was amazing to be able to watch what these two young competitors were capable of achieving. I'm also glad that as a team, we were able to accept them, and create appropriate conditions for them to feel good and be able to succeed.
Did the introduction of two young and well-jumping guys trigger anything in you older jumpers?
S.P.: Hard to say. We've definitely been able to evolve thanks to it, and in a good way at that, which is most important. Like you mentioned, we're a team and we work hard for it. Young athletes have definitely had an influence on the group, they've pushed everything in a better direction. I don't analyze their coming in that respect. I'm just going straight ahead and hoping that everything will be going well.
What's the structure of the team? Who's the leader?
A.J.: Bjoern Einar is the captain, we've chosen him together for this year. It's pretty much a question of age... Well, maybe not quite. It's easier for me and Tom to listen to the ones that have more experience. That's okay and that sort of cooperation is going well. I'm glad that we're all part of the team.
What actions do you take as a team in order to get closer together, to get to know each other better? Do you have a special program to achieve that?
A.J.: This winter, we worked with a psychologist - he helped us out individually, but we also talked about things that apply to the whole group. Sooner or later, problems can start to appear in any group of people, although no such thing happened to me in the past season. We've always been good friends. Sometimes we try to break the routine, do something just for fun which has nothing to do with ski jumping. It's good for us not only as jumpers, but just for ourselves.
Like the films for VG-TV?
A.J.: Yeah, something like that.
As long as we're on the subject of being a team - what's going on with Lars Bystoel?
S.P.: Lars is in Trondheim. We live in Oslo, so we're not all that well informed as to all that's going on with him. Lars is working with the B team at this time.
A.J.: He's a part of Team 2011, but he's still training with Anders Bardal and Roar Ljoekelsoey in Trondheim. I think that's it's good for Lars to be in a more peaceful environment. It's good that he can work on his form and get back to the top - just like he did when he won his Olympic medal.
S.P.: We had one training camp together, and later Lars went to Pragelato to a junior training camp. It's hard for us to say what exactly is going on with him.
Sigurd, you've been working with Mika Kojonkoski for several years now. Aren't you afraid that after so long, he may run out of great ideas?
S.P.: In my opinion, Mika is a wise man. After each season has ended, he has to find his own motivation and new courses of action, or ways of thinking. He has to develop his ideas and pass them on to us. It doesn't matter how long he's been our coach. We also have to evolve, find motivation.
And what did you do after the season, when did you have your vacation?
A.J.: I bought a house and mainly worked on it. I met up with friends. I did the things I couldn't do during the season.
You also had corrective eye surgery.
A.J.: Yes. Now I can see... an eagle in the air. (laughs)
Some people joked that your great jumps during the season resulted in the fact that you couldn't see very well...
A.J.: Yes, that was a good one. (laughs) When I started jumping in the A team last summer, I got a really old Carrera helmet, which weighed like 2 kilos, and the goggles were quite scratched up, so basically I couldn't see anything at all. I don't remember who it was then, that said to me - you, Sigurd, or Roar - "Are you really going to jump in those goggles?" (laughs) And I was actually jumping well at that time. Mika heard about it, looked at those goggles, said: "No way", and he just threw them out. Yes, a lot has changed since then.
You have a new house - aren't you afraid that groups of tourists are going to come and look at it?
A.J.: No, I have a gate and a big dog, so I shouldn't have any problems. (laughs)
What about your job as a plumber? Are you planning on working in your profession?
A.J.: No, not as long as I'm on the A team. It's all about time and money. When you're a part of the A team, you don't need another job. Basically, you have no time for one. Ski jumping is more than a full-time job.
And what about studying? You said you might start studying something in the spring...
A.J.: Most likely not. I was thinking about some language studies, but I'm too lazy for that. Or maybe I'm just not the type who can sit down calmly and read. When I read one page and start another, I don't remember what was on the first one anymore (laughs) because I'm thinking about... an awesome motorcycle or something. Not a chance.
You're both working with a new coach, Jermund Lunder. How's that going? What can you say about him?
S.P.: We had to get to know each other first.
A.J.: We had to understand each other. That when we're saying the same thing, it doesn't mean we're thinking the same thing. In ski jumping, it's very important for minds to work together. The concept has to be the same for the jumper as it is for the trainer. It took us like three weeks to tune into each other, and after that everything started working really well. Jermund puts 110% into everything he doesn, so it's easy working with him.
S.P.: He's really good and he's helped us improve many things. It's his second season and I have a good feeling about it.
Anders told us about his hobbies the last time around - and what do you like to do aside from ski jumping, Sigurd?
S.P.: It's hard to say what I do. A little bit of everything. (thinks) I don't have any hobbies. If I've got nothing to do, I can do something in my apartment or study, go outside, play something with friends.
What do you study?
S.P.: I mean my coaching studies in Oslo, I've been doing that ever since I made it into the A team, which is for 5 years now. It's going rather slowly for me. But as long as I'm in the representation, I'm doing a bit of each year and that's enough for me.
Are you planning a career as a ski jumping coach after you've ended your sports career?
S.P.: That's basically the reason why I'm studying, but who knows? Motivation is key here. I'm not capable of saying anything yet. I love sports and I'm planning on doing something in connection with it, so after I'm done jumping, I'll definitely stay in the sports environment somehow.
What other plans do you have for the summer?
A.J.: After finishing this training camp, we have about 2 weeks off, which means we train on our own, and not in Oslo with a trainer. We'll do what was planned earlier. Each of us will get a plan to carry out. Just things you can do on a regular day: swimming out on a boat or on jet skis, eating ice cream... (laughs)
When are your other training camps?
S.P.: Halfway through July we have a camp in Lillehammer. Leter we take part in the Summer Grand Prix - in Courchevel and Pragelato.
A.J.: We'll be spending a lot of time in Lillehammer this summer.
S.P.: Yes, after the first competitions of the SGP, we're going to Lillehammer.
A.J.: We'll finish up the summer season with a training camp in Innsbruck.
What are your goals for the coming winter season?
A.J.: I don't have any yet. For now, I'm concentrating 100% on the summer season. I don't want to copy anything from last summer, I'm trying to do new things, I just want to be the best in all I do. And once we start jumping on snow, I'll set some goals.
Will it be hard for you to start a new season after as great a winter as the previous one?
A.J.: It depends on the attitude. If you see new challenges, and not something you have to defend, then there shouldn't be any problems. Ski jumping is a discipline which is characterized by an immense susceptibility to all kinds of influences. Very small factors are able to change a good jump into a bad one. We'll see how it'll be at the beginning of the season, there's no sense in thinking about that now.
Are you going to be able to deal with the pressure from fans and the media, with the expectations of the whole Norwegian nation?
A.J.: I don't think that should be a problem. From the very beginning, I've been honest and I've said that I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing, and that I'm happy with my achievements. I also always repeat that in ski jumping, everything changes very fast, so I won't be angry when I get 18th, 19th or 20th place. Because that's life and it's always like that - sometimes you're on top, sometimes you're on the bottom. It's a process, which goes on continuously. You can't be the best all the time, and people can't expect you to be. That wouldn't be fair.
What about you, Sigurd?
S.P.: I simply want to be better than last season. In order for that to happen, I need to work a lot on myself and my own growth. Just like anybody else, I hate losing. I think that in ski jumping, you can't really say: "Okay, I'm going to have my top form in this competition". This isn't cross country skiing, where you train like crazy all year, you keep up your hundred-procent condition, and then two weeks before the championships or some other event you let it go, believing that the form will come precisely at that moment. Meanwhile, it's a bit like gambling. In ski jumping - if you're jumping well, you're jumping well. You never know when those good jumps are going to come. Maybe during training, but not in the competition.
A.J.: Besides, the weather in Europe is changeable. In almost every competition last winter, the wind was blowing some jumpers under their skis, and others - hard against their backs, and that has plays a big role. Then the speed drops considerably, and when it happens among the top competitors, then we can say that the level of the rivalization drops also. I hope that wind screens will be commonly used soon, or that inruns will be roofed-over - something that would make it possible for the best man to win, and not someone who was just lucky.
There are a lot of changes being made in the ski jumping rules lately, there are some new ones being introduced. Some people say that ski jumping isn't going in the right direction at all. What's your opinion?
A.J.: I like the rules as they are now, because today's technique and equipment allow for longer and longer jumps. So the jumping suit has to be smaller, the skis have to be shorter. Some ski jumping hills allow for excessively long jumps, and that should not happen. Just like in any other discipline, everything is evolving, so I don't see any possibility for it to be different when it comes to ski jumping. Otherwise it will really be necessary to build even bigger hills.
S.P.: Ski jumping is evolving on many levels. The rules have always existed, at some point ski jumping became more like ski flying, so rules were introduced, which were supposed to suppress that. Maybe ski jumping will one day return to what it was before, maybe there will not be as many rules, but the ones that remain will apply to the really quintessential aspects. I can also look at ski jumping from the viewpoint of a spectator, and it's a fact that some of the rules are unclear, and they're hard for everybody to understand. It seems like a natural process to make the rules simpler.
Thank you very much for the time you've spent with us and for the interview. We wish you a pleasant summer and plenty of success.
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