Mental strength key for Beijing medal: Ski jumping world champion

WARSAW, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Polish ski jumping world champion Piotr Zyla ensured that he will prepare well for the Winter Olympics and "mental strength will be a key factor to achieve success" in Beijing.

Zyla stood on the highest podium at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 in Oberstdorf, Germany. In the new season, the main target for him is to take his first Olympic medal.

"I don't put extra pressure on myself. I try not to focus on the games. For me, the whole winter is important, although the Olympics are indeed the target event and we are to be in top shape there," the ski jumper said in a Wednesday interview for local media. "I will be ready, the mental strength is the most important."

The Poland team hasn't jumped yet on the Olympic hills in China.

"There will definitely be an additional thrill because it's an unexplored object for us. But the hill really doesn't matter. If you are in shape, you jump far. The jump technique doesn't change," Zyla claimed.

The six-time world championships medalist hopes that he will keep momentum by achieving good results until the Winter Olympics.

"You have to keep going all the time. Whenever you stay at the same level, it feels like you've taken a step back. That is why you have to take the good results all the time and push the limits of your abilities," the 34-year-old concluded.