(Reuters) – Focus on ski jumping at the Beijing Games.
THE ABSOLUTE BASICS
Athletes hurtle down a daunting looking hill, either “normal” (85-109 metres) or “large” (110-184 metres) depending on height, then assume as aerodynamic position as possible to try to soar as far as they can while landing cleanly to gain points for distance and style.
HOW MANY MEDALS?
Five events = five golds, though two of them are four-person team events.
WHAT HAPPENED IN PYEONGCHANG?
After decades as the “former power” Norway roared back to win the men’s team event for the first time and also the women’s individual via Maren Lundby. Poland’s Kamil Stoch successfully defended his large hill title while Andreas Wellinger won the normal hill gold for Germany.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN BEIJING?
An absolutely wide open competition – with the battle on both hills potentially thrown even wider by an injury to Stoch that threatens the Pole’s involvement.
WHAT’S NEW?
A mixed team event made up of two men, two women on the normal hill.
WHEN IS IT HAPPENING?
Feb. 5-14
WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?
At the Zhangjiakou cluster, 100 miles (160 km) north-west of Beijing.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Ski Jumping has been part of the Olympic programme since the inaugural Games of 1924, though there have been a succession of changes to format, size of the jumps, scoring systems, equipment and technique. It was also popular for decades before that, with claims for a first world record (of less than 10 metres) being set by Norwegian-Dane Olaf Rye in 1808. The current world record is 253.5 metres.
WELL FANCY THAT
The United States has competed in the sport in every Olympics but Anders Haugen, who emigrated from Norway in 1909, is the only American to win a medal – and that was awarded 50 years late. At the first Winter Olympics in 1924 the bronze was awarded to Norway’s Thorleif Haug but at a 1974 Norwegian team reunion a statistician noticed a scoring error and Haugen was officially promoted to third. At the age of 86 he travelled to Norway to receive his medal – which was presented by Haug’s daughter.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Toby Davis)
