The 24-year-old ski jumping ace from Dolenja Vas has had many difficulties throughout his career at the Salpausselkä ski jumping centre. Even in his champion season, when he broke record after record and won more than half of all the events that winter, he never managed to break the curse of Lahti. Peter’s best result in the Finnish Nordic centre, which will host the World Ski Championships for a seventh time this year, is a fourth place. That was three years ago on the large jumping hill. Last year he was fifth on the large hill and ninth on the medium hill. Even in the five team events Peter has taken part in, he has never managed to win a spot on the winning podium in Lahti. The best result of Slovenia’s national team came three years ago when it was fourth.
Jumps in Lahti similar to weather conditions
"In Lahti I almost got into a fight with my head. I came there many times, I jumped well during practice and in the qualification jumps, but I tied myself in knots once the event got underway. For example, last year I made a really good jump on the small hill. My second jump was poor, and the next one was once again very good. My jumps are as turbulent as the wind in Lahti," is what last winter’s best ski jumper had to say about his past "battles" in Finland.
Following his dream season last year Peter ran into difficulties at the very first event of this season. After two falls he completely lost his form and even made a short break from the World Cup in Wisla. His absence did have a positive effect, as his result curve has been rising ever since his return to the World Cup circuit. It also rose during the Asian tour when he finished just below the top three in Pyeongchang, and even won the event in Sapporo.
"What I wish most of all is to jump at the highest level at the championships, and be consistent. If possible, I would like to time my form and have one good jump after another. I’d go home content if my jumps are at a high level and stable. That’s what I lack this season. My form was stable, but not at a top level. To be honest, I don’t expect any results. I’m too weird this season, or in other words, so many things have already happened to me this season. It’s difficult, because you have no idea what every next event brings. It is a fact that I have been marked as a medal favourite at previous World Championships but failed to win a medal. It has also happened that I was not a medal favourite but ended up winning a medal. At competitions like that, you can never be sure what a championship brings," Prevc was cautious in making any predictions.
Tilen Jamnik; translated by K. J.
