Matjaž Zupan

Matjaž Zupan, born on September twenty-seventh, nineteen sixty-eight, is a distinguished Slovenian former ski jumper who represented the former Yugoslavia and later independent Slovenia from nineteen eighty-seven to nineteen ninety-four. His remarkable career includes a silver medal in the team large hill competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, showcasing his talent on the international stage.

In addition to his Olympic success, Zupan achieved a notable fourth place in the individual large hill event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in nineteen eighty-seven. After retiring from competitive jumping, he transitioned into coaching, where he made significant contributions to the sport.

Zupan served as the head coach of the Slovenian national ski jumping team from nineteen ninety-nine to two thousand six, leading the team to impressive victories, including Rok Benkovič's triumph in the normal hill at the World Championship in Oberstdorf and a team bronze medal at the same event. His coaching prowess was further demonstrated when he guided the Slovenian Eagles to a team bronze at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Following his initial coaching tenure, Zupan took on the role of head coach for the Czech national team for three successful seasons before returning to Slovenia from two thousand seven to two thousand eleven. Although his second stint yielded less favorable results, he continued to influence the sport by coaching the French ski jumping national team for two years, concluding his time there at the end of the 2014 Olympic cycle.

In May twenty-fourth, he was appointed as the head coach of the Russian national ski jumping team, embarking on an ambitious program to elevate Russia among the elite ski jumping nations. He selected Matjaž Triplat, a former head coach of the Slovenian women's ski jumping team, as his assistant. Additionally, Zupan was engaged by the Bulgarian Olympic Committee to coach their ski jumping team for the 2018 Winter Olympics, further solidifying his legacy in the sport.