Everyone is gone

It hit like a bombshell when the jumpers' sporting director, Klaas Brede Brathen, resigned from his job last Friday.

Bråthen will be at center for the rest of the season. But after being in Hopp-Norge's DNA for 20 years, many fear decadent tendencies.

What happens to Alexander Stockl and the rest of the technical staff? Will Braathn's lack of commitment stifle showjumping in Norway?

Last night's scenes did not calm the speculation.

Then Halvor Aegner Granerud & Co. I jumped out of a World Cup race in Szczerk in Poland, and there was no Stöckl in the stands. Nor was Magnus Brevig, a sports scientist for the national show jumping team.

In short, this means he is an assistant coach under Stückel and in charge of the equipment. These two are usually the ones waving the Norwegians off the coaches' podium.

On the plain in Szczyrk, there was no sporting director Clas Brede Bråthen either. He watched the run at his home in Mjondalen – before going out and shoveling snow.

Instead, the players were waved off by assistant Thomas Lubin.

Where were the top people in Hope-Norge?

Now the race has been canceled due to wind. But Bratten says this was a planned maneuver, and had nothing to do with the turmoil surrounding his dismissal.

– Look, he's angry

– It was planned that Stöckl would not participate in the first two races in Poland this week. He will travel with Daniel Andrej Tandy on Thursday and will be in Zakopane for the weekend, Brathen told Dagbladet.

– Brevig was in Wisla last weekend, but is in Norway now. There is a lot of work with the equipment. He will be down again after the weekend in Zakopane and will be present at the rally before the Flying Ski Course in Kulm. This was also according to plan, Brathen says.

He points out that in recent years, Stockl has tended to take a break when the World Cup is held in Poland. The season is long and most of the support staff use parking on race weekends every now and then.

So you can ask yourself: what would this look like in football? What if coach Pep Guardiola and his assistant Juanma Lillo suddenly disappeared from the Manchester City squad?

Regarding the absence of jumping peaks, Brathen says:

We have seen time and time again that it has no meaning, no matter how much we want it to have meaning. When athletes have a clear picture of what they're going to do, it doesn't matter who encourages them to go out – or who's around them – as long as they have enough support.

Braathin continues:

– The men around are now on duty around the clock. We would have liked to have been able to make more changes during the season. In this way, the batteries of many coaches and experienced people can be recharged, while others once again gain the necessary World Cup experience.

Ten racers remained from the first round when the race was canceled last night. In that sense, there were no consequences anyway.

Bråthen admits to Dagbladet that he has made the hardest decision of his life.

After the season concluded, he resigned from his position as athletic director. He has been in this position since 2004. The reason for his resignation is that he tried to change the structure of the Norwegian Ski Association, but failed to do so.

According to the athletic director, jumpers should get more money from the money they give to the skating association through event income.

The decision is final. In addition to Friday's press conference, Brathen submitted a written resignation to the ski association. The answer he received in return was that it was accepted.

Dramatic message

So the decision is final?

-You have finished the structure on Ski-Norge. I've said all about it. Enough is enough. He says: I overturned all the stones.

– I've tried everything in the toolbox, but I haven't succeeded in having a conversation about this topic. Then I have to move on in life. It's not worse.

Read General Secretary Arne Baumann's reaction to Praathen's dismissal below.