The 41-year-old Tyrolean Florian Liegl is Mario Stecher’s successor as sports director in the Austrian Ski Association for ski jumping and Nordic combined. The former ski jumper is currently head coach of the second national ski jumping training group. Stecher is moving – officially on May 1st – to the newly created position of ÖSV sports director.
Liegl ended his active career in 2005 at the age of just 22 and has been working as a coach primarily for the ÖSV since 2007. After starting with the women’s team as an assistant coach, he worked for a few years as a group trainer and base helper for the men’s ski jumping team in Innsbruck. Liegl was assistant coach under head coach Andreas Felder in the 2018/19 season. As an athlete, he achieved eight podium places in individual competitions, all from January to March 2003. On February 1, 2003 – his 20th birthday – he celebrated his only World Cup victory in ski flying on the Kulm.
“I am very proud, for me it is like the first day of school,” said Liegl in an interview with ORF on the sidelines of the ski flying in Planica. “I know the legacy is very large. The grapes hang very high. I’m almost two meters tall, but there’s a lot to do.” But he’s confident that we’ll be able to handle it well together. Now he has to get into the system through analyzes in all areas. “I know the system itself very well, but it requires discussions and joint analyzes so that we can correctly define the goals and set goals.”
Last weekend Liegl was still on the road as a Continental Cup coach, but over the course of the week things became more concrete. “Today is, so to speak, my first day at work.” Now he wants to build on Stecher’s work. “We want to continue to guide new, young talents with sensitivity to the top and at the same time strengthen and expand the youth work as our foundation even more.”
“Connoisseur of the scene”
Stecher described his successor as an absolute ski jumping expert and connoisseur of the scene. “Due to his diverse experience as an athlete and trainer, he is predestined for the new task. He knows the structures in the association inside out and has really worked for the team over many, many years. He brings everything with him so that he can continue to lead this successfully into the future.” Stecher stated that he would remain in close contact with Liegl. “I’m always willing to help and look forward to the shared task.”
Eva Pinkelnig, who still remained in Planica, also commented on the new personnel. “Very cool. Of course he is inheriting a great legacy. You can see it in the successes and the team spirit – there has been a lot of development. But Flo will take care of it well.” On Thursday, at the end of the Women’s World Cup in Planica, Pinkelnig celebrated her sixth win of the season and her 15th overall in the World Cup. The Vorarlberg native drew level with Sara Marita Kramer from Salzburg. Both are now one success behind Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, the ÖSV record World Cup winner.