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[from_the_corner]

If you look down, from the top of a jumping hill, you always wonder – how can they do it?
Going down 100-something meters, then being catapulted with speed about 90 km/h (or about 105 on flying hills), fly for 3-5 seconds, to land on 120-140 meter (of 180-240, if it’s flying hill). With only skis on your feet.
Crazy, right?

There was an accident in Zakopane today. Jan Mazoch got some bad wind (or “lost” it at all) for a second, and fell on the landing, tumbling several times. Looked very ugly, and I’ve seen several bad falls through the years.

You don’t think about what can go wrong, when competition starts. You just cheer and keep your fingers crossed for your favourites. Even if the conditions are harsh, and the feeling that it’s getting dangerous is stronger. Curse the race director, when he pushes the competition against common sense.
And then it happens, and there’s dead silence on the stadium, and you have lump in your throat, because the guy you just saw laughing few minutes ago, fell, and he’s not moving. And there’s blood on the outrun.

I remember Matti's fall in Innsbruck in 1990. Mika's, in Ga-Pa in 1996. I remember when Goldi fell right on his head, 10 years ago, in Lahti. Risto, in Neustadt in 2002. Robert, Simmon, Thomas, just to mention few from recent years.
Just this season, in Kuusaamo, I almost had a heart attack, when Janne got strong blow at the end of the inrun and barely made it.

It happens to all of them, in one point or other, during training or competition, just bruises or worse. But the guys are strong, and keep coming back. If not this season, then the next. They’re like cats, but even cats only have nine lives.

On the side note – it’s a testament how much the climate has changed in last 20 years. Even ten years ago, we had two, maybe three competitions in the whole season, that were disturbed due to bad weather. Now it’s a miracle, when everything goes smoothly.

We don’t know how serious Mazoch’s condition is. They say, he regained consciousnes in the hospital and now is going through series of test. We can only pray, he’s gonna be fine.