Stories and tales of one of the most fascinating sports of the Olympic Winter Games
Enthralling, adrenaline-pumping, unique: to sum it up, this is all ski jumping is. A spectacular sport, made even more unique by the thousands of fans cheering and encouraging the Olympic athletes, who are ready to take on increasingly exciting challenges, jump after jump.
The backdrop of the Five Olympic Rings only makes this sport even more special and iconic at this winter feast, regardless of the edition. This sport has provided some indelible Olympic moments over the years, from Eddie 'The Eagle' (GBR) soaring through the air in Calgary '88, to Robert Johansson (NOR) with his 'flying moustache', to the more recent double gold medal win by Slovenian Ursa Bogataj in Beijing 2022. These are just some of the most interesting characters in the history of the Olympic Games.
Carina Vogt, the first female Olympic gold medallist
Women's ski jumping became an Olympic discipline in Sochi 2014. Germany's Carina Vogt wrote a milestone in the history of this sport, winning the first gold medal. The inaugural competition took place on Ski Hill HS106 in Rosa Khutor (RUS) on 11 February 2014, and Vogt did not miss her chance to jump the 103-metre measure and quickly reached first position, at the halfway mark.
Keeping her nerve in the second round, the German athlete managed to jump 97.5 metres, ending the competition in first place with 247.4 points, enough to earn a gold medal that was anything but a foregone conclusion. Indeed, Vogt put veteran Austrian Daniela Iraschko-Stolz and French Coline Mattel behind her, with the odds-on Japanese favourite Sara Takanashi ending in fourth place. Carina's final tears well describe all the excitement of the moment.
Eddie 'The Eagle', a praise to tenacity
Michael Edwards - also known as Eddie 'The Eagle' - was one of the stars of the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. His Olympic dream captivated millions of spectators around the world, as he was the first British jumper at the Olympics since 1928.
He finished last both on the normal and large hill events, but his character and tenacity made him leap in the limelight much more than if he had won a medal. His thick glasses, always under his mask during the competition, were an icon of the entire Olympics.
His bravado and optimism in taking risks brought a smile to the spectators' faces. 'During these Olympic Games, some of you have won medals, some others have broken records, and some have even flown like an eagle' - the tribute Franz King, President of the Organising Committee, paid to Edwards at the closing ceremony.
Matti Nykänen, the Flying Finn
The term 'predestined' is certainly not wasted when it comes to Matti Nykänen and his relationship with the Olympics. The Finn is the world record holder for ski jumping medals earned at the Olympic Games.
His début at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games was glorious: he managed two near-perfect jumps, taking victory on the large hill with a 17.5-point lead - still the biggest Olympic lead in history. On top of that, he also secured a silver on the normal hill.
In the following Olympic edition, he did even better. The Nordic jumper won a gold medal on the normal hill, with a 17-point margin over the second place, and a 16.5-point margin on the large hill, dragging his nation to first place in the first team event in Olympic history. An incredible achievement, which allowed Matti to become the first multiple gold medallist at the Olympic Winter Games.
Matti Nykanen, Finland, Ski Jumping, Olympic Winter Games Calgary 1988
Four decades at the top for Noriaki Kasai
A true legend of Japanese winter sports. This is the only way to tell the story of Noriaki Kasai, born in Shimokawa in 1972, the record-holder in terms of longevity at the Olympic Winter Games, with eight participations.
Although the sceptre of Japanese ski jumping is firmly in the hands of Ryoyu Kobayashi, normal hill Olympic champion in Beijing 2022, Kasai still enjoys great popularity in the Land of the Rising Sun. Kasai made his World Cup début in the 1988-89 season, achieving his first Olympic qualification in Albertville 1992, and his first medal - a silver in the team event - in Lillehammer 1994.
But it was in Sochi 2014 that Kasai stunned the world, stopping time and rewinding the tape to hoist himself onto the second step of the podium. In Russia, in the large hill competition, Noriaki managed to score second behind Poland's Stoch at the end of the first series of jumps, and confirmed his performance in the second jump, becoming one of the oldest medallists in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, at the age of 41. Not content with that, he also helped his team gain a bronze medal, at the team event, only a few days later. In PyeongChang 2018, his last appearance at the Olympics, he secured the all-time attendance record, surpassing Albert Demchenko (EUN/RUS).
Noriaki Kasai, Japan, ski jumping, Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010
