Stoch, three-time Olympic ski jumping champion and former world champion, was not in form last season. Three 11th places were the best individual results the Pole could achieve. At the end of the 2023/2024 season, he finished 26th in the overall World Cup rankings, and had won the overall tournament twice in the past.

In order to be able to return to his old performances, the 37-year-old says he is putting everything on one card. After the end of last winter, he asked the Polish Ski Association if he could prepare for the 2024-2025 season alone with a private coach and away from the national team. The Polish Ski Association PZN complied with this request.

Stoch has since presented his team, which includes Michal Dolezal, former Polish head coach of the ski jumpers, and most recently on the coaching staff of the German ski jumping team. The latter acts as Stoch's private coach. Meanwhile, Kruczek is also part of the team, and is also a former Polish head coach, having also coached the Italian national team. Stoch said he now needs support from people who know him very well.

"After this very difficult period for me, without any successes, without any podiums, it is difficult to find motivation. It's hard to find something to latch on to that will make you work even harder," he said.

"That's why I was very exhausted after this season. In fact, I was exhausted both mentally and physically. I knew that in order to achieve something else in jumping, I needed a total change in the training system. 

"I also need someone who will focus, as I said: only on me. Someone who will notice details that can still be changed. I believe that at this stage of my career, which I am at now, it is only work on details, on the smallest points that can actually change something in my jump, add the 15 meters that I am missing."

The Polish ski jumping star explained that he was well aware that he was taking a big risk with this decision to go his own way. The success of the measures taken is not guaranteed. The next ski jumping World Cup season starts on 22 November in Lillehammer. The highlight will be the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim from 26 February to 9 March, 2025.