Back to the roots: Gregor Schlierenzauer and Werner Schuster

Gregor Schlierenzauer is working hard to make it back to the top again and since this spring he once again relies on the advice of Werner Schuster in order to make that happen. A cooperation that has already worked very well at the beginning of his outstanding career.

"Werner has already been a key figure in my career when I was still in school in Stams, exactly at the time when I had my breakthrough in the World Cup", the 29-year-old exceptional ski jumper explained in an interview with the Austrian TV channel ORF.

Despite training with Werner Schuster, Gregor Schlierenzauer remains a member of the Austrian team. He is working individually with the former head coach of the German ski jumpers in addition to the joint training camps of the national team. A cooperation that can be challenging for both sides at times. "I'm very impressed by his attitude and motivation. He has already pushed me to the brink of my abilities back then, before I became head coach in Germany. You really have to be very attentive, he questions everything, is extremely meticulous and dedicates his life to the sport", Schuster said on orf.at.

The record World Cup winner is aware of the fact that it's not always easy to work with him: "Of course I demand a lot, sure. But when you want to reach the top, and you have already been there for a long time, you can't leave anything to chance. I know that it can be exhausting, but I stay true to my principles and so it's nice when you have a partner that you can work with individually in addition to the team training."

With all his experience as a coach working with young athletes and in the World Cup, Werner Schuster now wants to help Gregor Schlierenzauer to get back to where he was for so many years, which is among the world's best. "Actually it's nothing special that he is struggling for a while now, what was special was the fact that he came to the World Cup at age 16 and that he remained on top for about eight years. This is very unusual in our sport. Now it's important that he has the necessary perserverance and that he can prove that he was not on top coincidentally, but that he really has outstanding skills."