OLYMPICS, SKI JUMPING. Simon Ammann landed the coup. Eight years after Salt Lake City the 28-year-old repeated his triumph at Olympic Games and now is a four-time Olympic Champion. With that the Swiss equaled the record of the most successful skijumper at Olympic Games, the famous Finn Matti Nykaenen. Ammann did even better, if you consider the fact that, in opposite to Nykaenen, Ammann won all his Gold medals in individual competitions. With the four Gold medals Ammann is now also the most successful Swiss Olympian in history. So far this title was held by former alpine skier Vreni Schneider.

Simon Ammann of Switzerland soars off the Long Hill on day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Ski Jumping Stadium on February 20, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

Simon Ammann of Switzerland soars off the Large Hill on the final jump on day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Ski Jumping Stadium on February 20, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

Simon Ammann of Switzerland takes the Gold Medal during the Ski Jumping Individual LH on Day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on February 20, 2010 in Whistler Olympic Park, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Philippe Montigny/Agence Zoom/Getty Images North America)

Simon Ammann of Switzerland takes the Gold Medal during the Ski Jumping Individual LH on Day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on February 20, 2010 in Whistler Olympic Park, Canada. (August 3, 2007 - Photo by Philippe Montigny/Agence Zoom/Getty Images North America)

Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria soars off the Long Hill on day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Ski Jumping Stadium on February 20, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

Thomas Morgenstern of Austria soars off the Long Hill on day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Ski Jumping Stadium on February 20, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

Stefan Hula of Poland soars off the Long Hill on day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Ski Jumping Stadium on February 20, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (February 19, 2010 - Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

The result on the large hill was exactly the same as on the normal hill. Ammann won Gold ahead of Poland's Adam Malysz and Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer. He won with 283.8 points clearly ahead of the Pole (269.4 points) and Schlierenzauer (262.2 points). So Malysz's dream of an individual Gold medal and Olympics did not come true.
 
Ammann: "A great jump"

Ammann laid the foundation for his victory in the Whistler Olympic Park in the first round where he showed the longest jump with 144 m. Schlierenzauer was 13.5 m short with his first jump - a world. In the final round Ammann could also post the longest jump with 138 m. A well deserved victory - no doubt about it.
 
Ammann did also not agree that he won because of the new bindings: "If you see how I fly over the knoll, that's a great jump. You get a very nice height here and jumping on this hill is a lot of fun", the champion told.

Kofler closely missed the medal

Schlierenzauer's teammates Andreas Kofler and Thomas Morgenstern, who were on the podium four years ago in Torino, finished fourth and fifth. Especially tough for Kofler. He was only one point behind the third place. Four years ago he missed Gold by only 0.1 points. Kofler remains unlucky.
 
But what happened to Matti Hautamaeki. He was not on the team for the normal hill, did well in training and got his chance on the large hill. After the first round he was third, 4.5 points ahead of the fourth. Would he win a medal like he did in Torino 2006? No. In his second jump he landed already after 104 m and was only 26th. Unbelievable.
 
Only Neumayer with a good performance for Germany

After a good first round the final did not go well for the Germans. Martin Schmitt, Andreas Wank and Michael Uhrmann were only 29th, 27th and 25th. "It's a tightrope walk, technically and concerning the wind. If you don't have a good jump and no support by the wind then you lose not only ten meters, but 30. Michi and I, we move on now and try to get in form again for the team competition", Schmitt analyzed. Best German was Michael Neumayer, who showed two good jumps and that earned him the sixth place.
 
On this historic day for Ammann also Czech Antonin Hajek could continue his great comeback and landed on a very good seventh place, ahead of the 37-year-old Japanese veteran Noriaki Kasai.
 
The Norwegians were not satisfied with the competition, Tom Hilde was their best as eleventh. Followed by Anders Jacobsen who could not meet the expectations.
 
Happonen disqualified, Ahonen injured

The series of bad results continued for the Russians, who are not competitive without Dimitri Vassiliev. All four athletes missed the cut for the final. US American Peter Frenette almost made the Top 30, he was 32th.
 
Except Hautamaeki, the Finnish team showed a disappointing competition. And that after they left a good impression in training. Janne Ahonen is still struggeling with the hill and can not show long jumps. And in addition to all that he fell in the trial round. Due to problems with his knee he skipped the second round after he was 15th after the first round. Harri Olli was 30th and barely made the final and Janne Happonen was disqualified because his suit was too big. So it won't be possible to win a medal in the team competition for the athletes of head coach Janne Vaeaetaeinen. Now it has to hoped that Janne Ahonen will be able to compete again.

FISskijumping.com
20.02.2010 22:40

Janne Ahonen injured

Janne Ahonen still doesn't have much luck when it comes to Olympic Games.
 
In the competition on the normal hill the Finn was fourth in an individual competition Olympic Games, just like already in Salt Lake City and Nagano. On Saturday he fell in the trial round before the competition on the large hill and could not jump in the final round. 
 
Participation in team event uncertain

An MRI showed a partial rupture of the collateral ligament. So it is not sure if the 32-year-old will be able to take part in the team competition. He said that a miracle is necessary for him to being able to jump on Monday, the team officials still leave all options open. "We have one day now. Then we will discuss the situation and make a decision", head coach Janne Vaeaetaeinen said to mtv3.
 
The team has to be named in a team captain's meeting on Sunday. In Park City 2002, only 0.1 points behind Germany, and in Pragelato 2006, Ahonen won the Silver medal with the Finnish team.

FISskijumping.com
21.02.2010 11:08

Ammann on top of skijumping

Simon Ammann reached the top of skijumping. The 28-year-old is the double double-Olympic Champion in the history of this sport. Four individual Gold medals - nobody could achieve that so far. Because even the great Matti Nykaenen only individual Gold three times. 1988 in Calgary he also won with the Finnish team.
 
Ammann is overwhelmed with joy, but far from speechless. He found the right answer to every question asked after his coup. "It was an unbelievable day. I woke up with a good feeling. Now I hold two medals in my hands", he said. "There was a lot of pressure. Even more than on the normal hill. But history was kind to me", he told.
 
Comparison between 2002 and 2010 hardly possible

When the most successful Swiss Winter-Olympian of all time tried to compare his successes from Salt Lake City 2002 with those from Vancouver 2010, he noticed that he can't do that. "That was a different person, who achieved that. 2002 I was in good form and I used my chance as an underdog. Here I was the favorite, the victories in Whistler are hard-earned."
 
Then Ammann spoke about the project "double Gold" and pointed out that these victories are far from self-evident. "You have to imagine: You come to Canada, far from home. You have a plan and a clear imagination of what you want to do here. And then everything really happens like I visioned. That's a power that I have to call magic."
 
"Also skijump on Hawaii"

Maybe he draws this power from the near Pacific. On the press conference the champion said that he's always doing well when the Pacific is not far away: "I also won a World Championship in Sapporo. Maybe I should try skijumping on Hawaii once", he joked.
 
But Ammann is not only a joker, he is a sawy tactical genius who always stuns the competition. So he did not jump as good as would have been able to at the qualification in Bischofshofen at the 4-Hills-Tournament because he knew that he would so get to start earlier under better conditions. Short before the Olympics he surprised with modified bindings with which he is still unbeaten.
 
Bindings not key to victory - but the self-confidence

Ammann was a little surprised at the fuss the Austrians made. "This type already exists for some time and so I was surprised that it took so long until they noticed it. And I think it's strange that there was such an uproar about something that's not new. For us it was good: Besides the technical advantage we also had the mental advantage", he said.
 
The athlete from Toggenburg doesn't consider the bindings as the reason for his victory. "If you jump with so much risk like I do, then it's first and foremost about self-confidence. I kept cool and that's why  I could jump more aggressive than the others", he analyzed.
 
"Without the colleagues I would not be here"

But Ammann stays humble also in the moment of his biggest happiness. He declined a comparison with the best tennis player of all time, his fellow countryman Roger Federer. "Roger impresses with a unbelievable consistency an the highest level and that over years. I'm more the guy for the special moments. But it's nice for Switzerland that there are always such good athletes", he said with a twinkle in his eye.
 
Ammann knows where he comes from, arrogance is not for him. Even in the hour of his biggest triumph he insists that he's not a lone fighter. "Without the colleagues I would have never come so far", he admitted.
 
Compliments from Austria

After this performances Ammann sure gets praise from the competition. Also from the main rivals, from Austria. "Simon is sensational and outstanding. He's the best", said World Champion Wolfgang Loitzl. And even his main rival in the fight for the overall World Cup, Gregor Schlierenzauer, found special words: "He's an idol for me". Probably the sweetest praise for Ammann.
 
Also the Germans took their hats off to the highflyer. Michael Neumayer, sixth on the large hill, declassified himself and the rest of the world when he said: "He jumps one or two leagues better than the rest. He has such an aggressive technique that he only he can jump with."
 
New dimension in skijumping

That's also the opinion of head coach Werner Schuster, Austrian and former coach of Ammann: "He slyly worked on his individual setup. Technically the Austrians have the right to doubt that and have it checked. But when the FIS approves it, then it's okay and you have to move on. That's a new dimension of skijumping."
 
Simon Ammann truly achieved something great.

FISskijumping.com
21.02.2010 12:59