Nicole Konderla-Juroszek unexpectedly announced her suspension from her career after winning a medal at the Polish Championships. The 23-year-old’s decision came as a surprise to the ski jumping community, as she had recently been competing domestically and appeared to be gaining momentum. Days later, she revealed in an interview with TVP Sport that she was the victim of bullying two seasons ago by the then-current coaching staff of the Polish national ski jumping team.
“I experienced bullying that season. Sporting issues are sporting issues, but if a player is criticized for things that go beyond the sport, for whether or not they smile, that’s not okay. I was undergoing treatment at the time, on medication, and my body changed,” she stated. The following day, at her request, the opening sentence of the interview was amended to: “I think that in some respects it may have been related to bullying.” The athlete also emphasized that she is referring to the entire coaching staff at the time and does not want to personally attack anyone, adding that she had blamed only herself for a long time.
Harald Rodlauer Responds to Nicole Konderla-Juroszek
The situation is complicated by the fact that the Polish Ski Association hired Harald Rodlauer as the coach of the women’s team in 2023. Konderla-Juroszek, however, continued to train under Łukasz Kruczek, which led to her suspension and removal from the main national team. The coaching staff at the time also included Stefan Hula and physiotherapist Theresa Koren.
Rodlauer and other members of the coaching staff responded to the athlete’s statements. In a statement sent to “Sport.pl,” they strongly denied the allegations of bullying. “We strongly deny the allegations made by Nicole Konderla-Juroszek regarding bullying. (…) At no point in our work in Poland was there systematic exclusion, deliberate discrediting, or inappropriate behavior towards any athlete on our team. We confirm that during our cooperation, there were different perspectives on the structure of training, internal coordination of activities, and expectations regarding the role of individuals. Such differences arise in an environment focused on high-class work. Our priority has always been to maintain clear structures and ensure equal treatment. However, individual misunderstandings should not be equated with bullying,” the statement read.
