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What is ski jumping?
Ski jumping started with children playing on skis in Northern Europe. It has become an extremely popular sport to watch. It has been part of the Olympics since the first Winter Games in 1924.
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| Ski jumpers leave nothing up in the air. (Allsport) |
What they do
There are three ski jumping events at the Nagano Olympics. They are:
- Individual normal hill
- Individual large hill
- Team large hill (four jumpers on each team)
Each skier gets two jumps. They receive points for style and distance.
How they win
Style is judged from the moment of takeoff until the skier lands. Judges look at the timing of the takeoff, how perfect it looks, how stable the skier is in the air, and the overall balance of the skier.
- Four points are taken off if the skier doesn't land with one leg before the other.
- Ten points are taken off if the skier falls.
Distance is measured from the takeoff point to the point in between where the skier's two legs land.
V is for victory
Skiers used to keep their skis parallel, but now they make a V because it increases their distance by almost 17 feet. This style was accidentally discovered by a Swedish skier. He could not keep his skis parallel, but he found his jumps were longer when he held his skis in the shape of a V.
People to watch
Japan has one of the world's best ski jumping teams. Masahiko Harada and Kazuyoshi Funaki are two Japanese jumpers who might win gold in Nagano. Dieter Thoma of Germany is another medal favorite.