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SKI JUMPINGCatching Air - washingtonpost.com graphic
Twenty-year-old
Simon Ammann of Switzerland came off an injury and out of the pack to
surprise the favorites, Adam Malysz of Poland, Sven Hannevald of
Germany and Matti Hautamaeki of Finland. Ammann won both the large and
small hill competitions, as Malysz and Hautamaeki got silver and
bronze, respectively, in the K120. Hannevald and Malysz got silver and
bronze in the K90. But Germany, with Martin Schmitt jumping in the
fourth position, had the last word, winning the team competition by
0.01 of a point on Schmitt’s final jump.
MULTIPLE MEDAL WINNERS
- Simon Ammann (SUI) — gold K90; gold K120
- Adam Malysz (POL) — silver K120; bronze K90
- Matti Hautamaeki (FIN) — bronze K120; silver team K120
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Sven Hannawald (GER) — silver K90; gold team K120
MEN
INDIVIDUAL |
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Simon Ammann (SUI) |
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Sven Hannawald (GER) |
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Adam Malysz (POL) |
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INDIVIDUAL |
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Simon Ammann (SUI) |
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Adam Malysz (POL) |
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Matti Hautamaeki (FIN) |
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TEAM |
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GERMANY |
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FINLAND |
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SLOVENIA |
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MEDAL TALLY |
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Total |
Switzerland |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Germany |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
Finland |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Poland |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Slovenia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Total |
3 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
VENUE & EVENTS
Utah Olympic
Park
Utah Olympic Park, 24 miles east of Salt
Lake and four miles north of Park City on State Route 224
The Utah Olympic Park is a 156-hectare/386-acre complex in the Upper East Canyon Creek watershed that includes a regulation Olympic bobsleigh and luge track and five regulation jumps. The venue will accommodate an audience of 21,000 for ski jumping and 15,600 for track events.
From Norway's Jacob Thoms, who overshot his landing at the 1928 Winter Games, severely injuring himself and never jumping again, to British novice Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who kept Calgary fans amused in 1988, ski jumping has produced more than its share of legends. Holding their wide skis in a "V" technique largely practiced since 1988 to increase distance with greater control, ski jumpers fly distances longer than a football field. In 2002, the thin air at the Utah Olympic Park (elevation 2237 meters/7338 feet) should produce some equally legendary leaps.
Ski jumping and the Nordic combined, which includes ski jumping and cross-country skiing, rely heavily on the strength and technical control of the participants. The Nordic combined is considered one of the most demanding of all sports because it requires the use of different sets of muscles.
No jumping events for women are held at the Olympic Games.
In order for skiers to soar the length of two football fields, they must have an understanding of the aerodynamics of flight and how wind and velocity affects each jump. A highly specialized and spectacular event, the skis used in these events are made of wood, fiberglass and epoxy. Jumping skis are 1˝ times as wide as Alpine skis and weigh as much as 16 pounds.
The two individual jumping events take place on the 90-meter normal hill and 120-meter large hill. Skiers are judged on the form of their jumps once they reach the end of the approach, where they spring outward and upward. Once in flight, they keep their bodies parallel to their skis. The skiers' knees and hips absorb the shock of the landing. Skiers are often not more than 10 feet in the air during the jump, as their flight curve follows that of the hill. Participants earn points based on distance and form.
Teams of four jumpers compete in two rounds after which the top three scores are combined to determine the total team score.
The individual event of the Nordic combined features a jump from the normal hill and a 15km cross-country race. The three-man team combined event consists of a 90-meter jump with a 30km race.
