Alex Insam’s dilemma: “Sometimes it’s desperate”

South Tyrol's only ski jumper at World Cup level has had a difficult season. Marked by discrepancies with the national team, a corona infection at the worst possible time and fluctuations in form, the man from Val Gardena looks back on the past Olympic winter and in the interview provides insights into the struggle of a sport that the national association ignores.

Mr. Insam, after the season you went on vacation for the first time to relax a bit...

“Exactly, I'm going to Tuscany with friends for a week. After a hectic winter, you need some time away from sport to be able to switch off and recharge your batteries.”

Now that you have had a season of ups and downs, how would you sum up the past season?

“Phew, it was mixed. At the beginning of the winter and in between, I was able to show good jumps again and again, and I often came to the competitions well prepared. For example, at the World Cups in Oberstdorf and Lillehammer I was in the top 10 on my first training jump. From jump to jump I got worse until nothing worked at all anymore. I didn't get to ride with the coaching team at all this year. When the coach makes corrections in the jumping system that all backfire and you have zero confidence in them, it’s grueling.”

Especially in ski jumping, the athlete must be able to trust his coach.

You actually would have qualified for the Olympic Games, but then everything turned out differently...

“I tested positive a week before departure to Beijing and was immediately informed by the Italian side that it was impossible to take part in the Olympics. I had to go into quarantine for ten days and tested negative again after four days, several times. I would also have had to get the sports doctor’s certificate again. I felt extremely let down by FISI; no one tried to stand up for me. Athletes from other nations like Daniel Andre Tande and Jarl Magnus Riiber from the Norwegians had positive test results much later than me, but were then allowed to travel later. Of course I wouldn’t have fought for a medal, but a second Olympics would still have been great.”

You were there in Pyeongchang in 2018 and had to watch in 2022. How did you perceive the games?

“Of course it wasn’t easy for me to follow the season highlight just as a spectator. The only consolation was that my teammates didn't have much positive to say about the “Corona Games”. Most people said it was a bit like being in prison, no contact with other athletes or sports, being isolated, only getting out of the Olympic Village with a police escort... The Olympic spirit probably didn't arise.”

“All other nations are already fully preparing, we are standing still.” Alex Insam

Winter athletes usually start preparing for the season at the beginning of May, have you already started?

“In contrast to all other winter sports, the FISI has not yet published any squads for us ski jumpers. So I know absolutely nothing! Our technical director quickly dropped out three weeks into the season and a replacement is not yet in sight. The head coach is gone, the actual preferred candidate has probably signed with the Norwegians. To date there has been no communication with FISI, all other nations are already fully prepared, we are at a standstill.”

How do you know how to deal with this uncertainty?

“At home in Val Gardena we have set up a kind of base. Together with the combiners and the two Malsiner sisters, I am now training with Romed (Moroder), who is no longer employed as a coach for the Austrians and supports us wherever he can. But he no longer wants to hold an office in the FISI, so it remains with the 'Team Val Gardena'.”

For Insam, summer training means lifting weights and doing dry jumps.

The suit issue in ski jumping recently hit the media, race director Sandro Pertile is trying to create fairness. How equipped are you in terms of material?

“Just this week the FIS published the new rules regarding material. Everything has really been turned inside out, new measurements are taken, there are changes to the skis and bindings. Some things make sense, but others are ridiculous, such as the rule about how you can put your suit over your shoes. As a small nation, we have always lagged behind, especially when it comes to suits. For any ski jumping fan, the differences in suit sizes can be seen through the television. Anyone who has a name is given priority by the controllers, only nobodies are ever disqualified, it’s absurd.”

“It's like talking to a wall, as an athlete in the Italian system you won't be heard!” Alex Insam

How do you personally see the development of Italian ski jumping?

“As long as I was still at the ski high school in Stams, the turmoil in the Italian national team passed me by. Now, however, I am dependent on the FISI system and its training environment. It is difficult to be a ski jumper in Italy, there is a lack of expertise, financing, youth work and will. The only jumping facilities in Italy in Predazzo are to be built for the Olympics by 2025, which will further deteriorate our training opportunities. For me it's just disappointing! I want to get involved in the team, give new input and make suggestions for improvements. They say 'yes, that's a good fit', but nobody actually listens to you, you run into a wall!”

What are your plans for the coming season?

“I don’t want to let my head down and return to my old strength. In any case, I will attack again with motivation and try my best.”

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Alex Insam’s dilemma: “Sometimes it’s desperate”

Alex Insam is Italy's best ski jumper in recent years, but things haven't been going well for the 24-year-old from Selva for some time now. The reasons for this are diverse.

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