Jaroslav Sakala

He entered his first World Cup competition on 15 January 1989 in Harrachov. His first big success was at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville with a bronze medal in the team large hill. Sakala finished second in the 1992-93 Overall World Cup ski jumping and fourth the following season.

He won three medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1993 in Falun with a silver in the individual normal hill and bronzes in the individual and team large hills. Sakala achieved his first World Cup victory on 30 January 1993 at Planica. His only victory on a regular ski jump was in Liberec on 16 January 1994. Sakala's fourth and final World Cup victory on 20 March 1994 at Planica when he won the Ski Flying World Championships. He was the first Czech to break the 200 metre barrier. He could not follow up on these successes in the years afterward and he did not win a medal in ski jumping after 1996, partly because of his conflicts with the Czech skiing federation and because of his short period of excessive drinking. Sakala made more frequent ski flying appearances from 1996 until his 2002 retirement.

• Jaroslav Sakala at the International Ski Federation
• More about Sakala Name