After the weak performances
at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, head coach
Wolfgang Steiert will end his work with the skijumpers
from Russia.
Loss of Vassiliev could not be compensated
"This season and the Olympics showed that under
the given circumstances at the moment my goal, to
establish the team in the world class for the long
term, can not be achieved." After the loss
of their best jumper Dimitri Vassiliev due to an
injury the team had no chance in Vancouver.
"I'm grateful for the experience with the Russian
skijumping national team and the extraordinary cooperation
with our partners Bionorica, Gazprom Germania and
adidas, whithout which our successes in the past
years would not have been possible."
Lack of infrastructure and perspective
Due to the still lacking sport infrastructure in
Russia, losses or performance fluctuations in the
team could not be compensated. "Our initiatives
to build up a B-team that is competitve on an international
level and integrate young athletes, who show perspectives
with a view of Sotchi 2014, in the team were not
supported in Russia. So we don't have the decisive
base for success in sports."
Since 2004, the former German head coach lead the
team step by step closer to the world class. The
highlight was the fifth place of Dimitri Vassiliev
in the overall World Cup ranking 2008/09. Since
then the team could not show further development.
Vassiliev, the team's only candidate to win a medal
at the highlight in Vancouver, tore his ACL in training
and could not compete at the Games.
For the rest of the winter the team will be coached
by Swiss Berni Schoedler, after the season he will
also quit.
