Despite�a�bright�and�warm�summer�in�Poland,�European�Football�Championships�and�a�visible�excitement�of�the�soon�forthcoming�Olympic�Games�in�Brazil,�let�me�throw back�a�little�to�the�winter in 1920 when�Poland�organized�its�first�championships�in�ski�jumping. Ski�jumping?! One�may�ask�while�trying�to�imagine�a�person�wearing�skis�and�desperately�attempting�to�take�off�a�flat�and�snowy�ground.�Close,�but�not�exactly. Ski�jumping�is�an�absolutely�fascinating�and�not�rarely�thrilling�winter�discipline�(although�nowadays�modern�technologies�allow�the�sportsmen�to�perform�also�in�summer),�which�involves�a�jumper�who�speeds�up�on�a�huge�slope�situated�on�a�high�hill�and�takes�off�at�the�edge�of�the�slope�in�order�to�fly�as�long�as�possible�and�try�to�land�further�than�his�competitors. And�this�is�how�it�looks�like As�I�have�already�mentioned,�Polish�ski�jumpers�participate�in�national�and�foreign�competitions�since�1920’s.�Before�the�WWII,�one�of�the�most�popular�sportsmen�was�Stanis?aw�Marusarz,�who�in�1938�won�a�silver�medal�during�the�World�Championships.�In�the�following�years�Polish�ski�jumpers�were�still�a�stable�and�difficult�to�conquer�power,�regularly�warmed�up�by�such�successes�like�the�longest�jump�in�the�World�performed�by�Piotr�Fijas�in�1987�and�undefeated�until�1994.�However,�the�best�was�yet�to�come. In�1995�his�debut�had�young�Adam�Ma?ysz,�who�later�became�an�absolute�symbol�of�an�invincible�sportsmen�and�a�hero�of�the�entire�country.�Among�other�significant�awards,�Ma?ysz�won�4�Olympic�medals,�6�World�Championships��medals�(including�4�gold�ones!),�he�also�became�a�4�times�winner at the�FIS�Ski�Jumping�World�Cup�and,�finally,�in�2001,�as�the�only�Pole�in�history,�he�won�a�prestigious�Four�Hills�Tournament.�Adam�Ma?ysz�s�victories�which�lasted�for�the�whole�decade�caused�a�huge�national�interest�in�the�entire�discipline�and�led�to�the�huge�crowd�of�proud�Polish�fans�following�our�ski�jumping�team�from�one�competition�to�another.�So-called�mania�around�the�person�of�Ma?ysz�became�a�widely�recognized�phenomenon�and�the�jumper�himself�became�a�celebrity.�It�is�worth�mentioning�that�the�heritage�of�Adam�Ma?ysz�earned�a�worthy�successor,�as�a�current�leading�representative�Kamil�Stoch�has�already�won�two�gold�medals�in�World�Championships,�2�gold�Olympic�medals�and�a�World�Cup!
