Janus Hands Over Ski Jumping Coaching to Bertoncelj

By , 28 Mar 2018, 11:24 AM Sport
Janus Hands Over Ski Jumping Coaching to Bertoncelj Wikimedia - Val 202 CC by 2.0 Goran_Janus_2016

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After saying that he had lost his faith in Janus at the PeyongChang Games, Peter Prevc said today he was not happy about the way the coach was replaced. 

 

STA, March 28, 2018 – 

After an eight-year spell as the head coach of Slovenia's ski jumping team, Goran Janus has been replaced by Gorazd Bertoncelj, so far the coach of up-and-coming jumpers. Janus was named ski jumping director.

The news was announced by Ljubo Jasnič, president of the ski jumping and nordic combined division of the Slovenian Ski Association, after the body's meeting on Tuesday.

For the past seven years Bertoncelj coached the junior team, including up-and-coming jumpers Domen Prevc, Žiga Jelar, Timi Zajc and Tilen Bartol, who have also excelled in the World Cup.

"This is also how Janus began his work, which has proved successful," said Jasnič, who had announced the change of the head coach at the ski jumping World Cup meet in Planica on Sunday.

Janus, who turned 48 just yesterday, lead the team through its most successful period ever, winning more than half of all World Cup victories for Slovenia.

Under his guide, Peter Prevc won silver and bronze medals at the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014 before his record breaking season in 2015/2016.

Apart from winning the crystal globe for the overall World Cup victory, Prevc also swept the Four Hills Tournament and won gold at the World Championship in Bad Mitterndorf in 2016.

With the team Janus also won four small crystal globes for the overall ski flying victory as well as two more individual World Championship medals.

"Goran has made an indelible mark. The past two seasons were not as good, but this does not make his achievements any lesser," said Jasnič.

"We had a quiet agreement with Jasnič for an Olympic medal, so the decision didn't come as a major surprise," Janus told reporters at a joint press conference on Wednesday.

"I felt myself toward the end this couldn't go on forever and that time had come for new challenges... We have been together for a long time, have seen successful seasons, the demand is for podium, medals."

Slovenia's ski jumping team failed to win a medal at the PyeongChang Games. Defending silver and bronze, Peter Prevc placed 10th and 12th in the individual events.

"I could've headed other teams, but I turned everyone down," said Janus, adding that he liked working as a coach and might do the job again in a few years.

However, the first job at hand for him will be to have a detailed discussion with his successor Bertoncelj once he comes back from holiday.

Praising Janus, the ski jumping and nordic combined division director Jasnič said that Bertoncelj was stepping into "big-sized shoes", although he was confident he is a good pick.

After telling the newspaper Delo in an interview that he had lost his faith in Janus at the PeyongChang Games, Peter Prevc said today he was not happy about the way Janus was replaced.

"Bertoncelj had been my club coach ten years ago and I could follow his work in the junior team through my brothers; he is a demanding coach. I have my goals, plans, but we need to talk it all through," said Prevc.

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