JANEZ POLDA, ski jumper (1924-1964), competed for Yugoslavia at the 1948 Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, 1952 in Oslo and 1956 in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
He was a representative of modern ski jumping. During his ski flying, he stretched his arms backwards, for which he received even lower marks.
In 1948, at the Ski Flying Week in Planica, he jumped 120 metres with a touch. Because of the latter, the distance was not recognised as a world record.
At this competition, with a jump of 109 metres, he became the second Slovenian to jump 100 metres, setting a new Slovenian and Yugoslav record at the time.
In 1950, in Plania, he further improved the record with a jump of 114 m. He finished 8th in the Four Hills Tour in 1953 in Innsbruck and 10th in Bischofshofen, and 5th in 1956 in Innsbruck.
Streets in Mojstrana and Zagreb are named after him, and in 2012 he was inducted into the Slovenian Sports Heroes’ Hall.
No bird has wings Forward. As Dr Andreja Kopač, dramaturge, professor and publicist, says, with this performance, we are contributing to the fact that almost a century after the start of his career, Janez Polda’s name is not forgotten – at least not in the local environment. The visits to our performances and the response to them testify to the importance of preserving the heritage – not only of the walls -but also of the people who worked beyond the walls – and whose spirit was like a bird, or as Friedrich Nietzsche would say: “Like a prophetic bird looking back, telling what is to come.”
Marsel Gomboc is the mastermind, the actor as the adult jumper, the director of No Bird Has Wings Forward, and the playwright Nika Brgant is the author of the play’s text.
Tickets can be booked at: kud.dovje@gmail.com or 031-505-027 (between 6 pm and 8 pm).
