OLYMPICS, SKI JUMPING. Simon Ammann is the first Olympic champion of the XXI. Winter Games in Vancouver 2010. Eight years after his double triumph in Salt Lake City the Swiss won the first competition of the Games 2010 and won his third Olympic Gold medal. With a great competition and the longest jump in both rounds he won with 276.5 points ahead of Poland's Adam Malysz with 269.5 points. So Malysz was second behind Malysz just like eight years ago. History repeats itself.

Simon Ammann of Switzerland competes during the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual 1st Round on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 12, 2010 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)

Ammann follows Lars Bystoel, who won in Torino ahead of Matti Hautamaeki and Roar Ljoekelsoey. On the large hill the Swiss can equal the record of the great Matti Nykaenen who won four Gold medals. "I wanted to win, but achieving it is a different thing", Ammann said after his victory.

Simon Ammann of Switzerland competes during the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual Trial Round on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 12, 2010 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)

Gregor Schlierenzauer won Bronze in his first Olympic competition. With a 106.5 m jump in the final he moved up from seventh after the first round to third. Finnish veteran Janne Ahonen was fourth in this very exciting competition and still couldn't win the long awaited Gold medal. But Ahonen was five points behind Schlierenzauer and missed the podium clearly. "It's awesome to win a medal at my first Olympic Games. You work for that for four years. I did not lose anything today, I won Bronze", 20-year-old Schlierenzauer said.

Simon Ammann of Switzerland performs his final jump to win the gold medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 12, 2010 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)

Uhrmann fifth - Strong Slovenians

Michael Uhrmann, fourth at the Games in Torino four years ago, was fifth this time. Uhrmann was second after the first round, but he jumped only 102 m in the final. "I jumped very well and I'm very satisfied. Of course the fifth place is not worth much, but it was a very good competition for me", said Uhrmann.

Sixth was Robert Kranjec, and so the first six athletes came from six different countries. With Peter Prevc as seventh, another athlete from Slovenia finished in the Top 10.

It didn't go well for the Norwegian team in the Whistler Olympic Park. All athletes of Mika Kojonkoski reached the final, but they could not fight for the medals. Anders Jacobsen was their best as ninth.

Disappointment for Kofler

Andreas Kofler, silver medalist on the large hill in Torino, showed a disappointing competition. The 4-Hills-Tournament winner was only 19th. It didn't go much better for last year's 4-Hills-Tournament winner. Wolfgang Loitzl finished 11th in his first individual competition at Olympic Games. Martin Schmitt was tenth and can hope for a medal in the team competition after this perfromance. Best Japanese was Daiki Ito as 15th. Roman Koudelka was the best of the Czech team as 13th. The Czech showed a strong team performance. Jakub Janda was 14th, Roman Koudelka 21st.

Simon Ammann of Switzerland celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 12, 2010 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)

In the middle of the first round there was slight tail wind started and not all athletes could handle these conditions. World Champion Andreas Kuettel from Switzerland and Jernej Damjan from Slovenia could not jump good enough to reach the final.

Taku Takeuchi, who showed good jumps in training, and the young Poles Krzysztof Mietus and Stefan Hula also missed the cut, just like the three US Americans. Finland's Harri Olli was disqualified because his suit was too big.

Bad luck for Bodmer

Pascal Bodmer had bad luck at his debut at Olympic Games. The zipper of his suit broke just before he was about to jump. After the problem was solved he was the last athlete who jumped in the first round but missed the final as 31st.

FISskijumping.com
13.02.2010 20:50

Adam Malysz of Poland wins the silver medal, Simon Ammann of Switzerland wins the gold medal and Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria wins the bronze medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 12, 2010 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)