Former ÖSV eagle raves

Expert on Kraft: “A killer in a positive sense”

Stefan Kraft has also caused amazement in Germany.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Werner Schuster, head coach of the German junior ski jumping team and former Austrian ski jumper, has heaped praise on ÖSV eagle Stefan Kraft. With him, everything simply fits together. Schuster also drew a comparison between the young talent work in Austria and Germany.

In an interview with "Eurosport", Schuster went into raptures about Kraft: "He has great skiing ability, the perfect physique for jumping, great basic technique and is also mentally very strong. A real competitor, a killer in a positive sense."

The German ski jumping coach is all the more pleased that Kraft is finally receiving the recognition he deserves this season: "An exceptional athlete who is not finished yet and can still ski jump at a high level for a few more years." 

"Jumpers are crushed by it"
For the Germans, on the other hand, not everything went according to plan this season. Austria is also lagging behind in the junior sector, according to the criticism, which Schuster qualifies somewhat: "Austria has a special ski jumping culture. There are always young coaches who are enthusiastic about it. The package fits, the talents even stand on each other's feet."

According to the former ÖSV eagle, Austria can also look back on more difficult times: "Austria also had a small dip six or seven years ago. A few jumpers were crushed by the Morgenstern, Schlierenzauer, Kofler, Koch and Loitzl generation. But new momentum has been built up and Austria is in a unique position at the moment - perhaps better than ever."